Edward W. Said

Born in 1935
  • Edward Wadie Said was a Palestinian American professor, public intellectual, and founder of postcolonial studies.

  • Born in Mandatory Palestine and educated in Western schools, he applied his bicultural perspective to bridge understanding between Western and Eastern worlds.

  • Said is best known for his book Orientalism, which critiqued Western cultural representations of the East.

  • He was a controversial member of the Palestinian National Council, advocating for Palestinian rights and statehood.

  • Said co-founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra with Daniel Barenboim, bringing together young Israeli, Palestinian, and Arab musicians.

  • An accomplished pianist himself, Said died of leukemia in 2003, leaving a lasting impact on literary theory, cultural studies, and Middle Eastern politics.

Books by Edward W. Said