Omar El Akkad

Omar was born in Cairo, Egypt and grew up in the Middle East before moving to Canada. He is a graduate of Queen's University. He spent ten years as a reporter covering stories such as the war in Afghanistan to the military trials in Guantanamo Bay, the Arab Spring revolutions in the Middle East and the protests in Ferguson, Missouri. Omar is a recipient of the National Newspaper Award for investigative reporting for his coverage of the "Toronto 18" terrorism arrests. He has also won the Edward Goff Penny Memorial Prize for young Canadian journalists, and has been nominated for several National Magazine Awards.