Edward Said Biography

Edward Said was a Palestinian born American professor and scholar. A literary theorist and academician, he wrote many books on literary criticism, musical criticism, and issues of post-colonialism. He was one of the most influential advocates in the U.S. who campaigned for the political rights and independence of the Palestinians—he was called ‘the most powerful voice” for Palestinians. He served as a professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University in a teaching career that spanned four decades. He is best known for his book ‘Orientalism’, published in 1978. In the book he discussed how certain assumption of the Western world leads to the misinterpretations of the cultural symbols of the Orient, particularly the Middle East. The book, considered to be a very significant writing on the post-colonial theory has been translated into many languages, and is a part of the prescribed reading for many political science courses. He was also a musical theorist who could play the piano very well; he also wrote several books on music. A public intellectual, he had interests in a variety of topics ranging from politics, literature, music, culture, teaching, and writing. He took an active interest in politics and served as an independent member of the Palestinian National Council (PNC).