Edward W. Said

Edward W. Said (1935-2003) was a Palestinian-American literary critic, academic, and political activist best known for his seminal work Orientalism (1978), which founded postcolonial studies by critiquing Western representations of the East, along with notable books like Culture and Imperialism (1993) and his memoir Out of Place (1999). He received major awards including the Lionel Trilling Book Award (twice), the Wellek Prize, Lannan Literary Award for Lifetime Achievement (2001), and Prince of Asturias Award for Concord (2002). As a longtime professor at Columbia University, he transformed literary theory, criticism, and Middle Eastern studies.