MANZANITA — Omar El Akkad will read from his novel, “American War,” at the Hoffman Center for the Arts 7 p.m. Saturday, March 17. Admission for the evening reading is $7. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

For 10 years El Akkad led a double life, working as an international war reporter for Canada’s The Globe and Mail and writing fiction between midnight and 5 a.m. The grueling schedule allowed him to write three draft novels that never left his hard drive, but his fourth, “American War,” was not only published but is creating significant buzz.

El Akkad’s future dystopian tale begins in 2075 during the second American Civil War, in which Red and Blue states clash over the need for sustainable energy. Set in a late-21st century U.S. ravaged by global warming, this ambitious debut encourages western readers to put themselves in the shoes of the world’s displaced peoples.

El Akkad covered the war in Afghanistan, military trials at Guantánamo Bay, the Arab Spring protests in Egypt, the Black Lives Matter movement in Ferguson, Missouri, and the effects of climate change in places like Florida and Louisiana.

He is a recipient of the National Newspaper Award for investigative reporting for his coverage of the “Toronto 18” terrorism arrests. He has also received the Goff Penny Memorial Prize for Young Journalists, as well as three National Magazine Award honorable mentions.

Following Omar’s reading and Q-and-A in the evening, the Hoffman Center will have its popular Open Mic, where up to nine local or visiting writers will read five minutes of original work. The suggested theme for the evening’s Open Mic is “Revenge.”

El Akkad’s visit is part of the Manzanita Writers’ Series. The Hoffman Center is located at 594 Laneda Ave. More information is available at hoffmanblog.org, or contact Kathie Hightower at kathiejhightower@gmail.com.