Edward W. Said

Edward W. Said (1935–2003) was a Palestinian-American academic, literary critic, and political activist, best known for his seminal book *Orientalism* (1978), which critiqued Western representations of the East and founded postcolonial studies. A professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, he advocated passionately for Palestinian rights and self-determination. His works, including *Culture and Imperialism* (1993), explored the intersections of culture, imperialism, and literature.