Said, Edward
Said, Edward (November 1, 1935- September 25, 2003)
Palestinian-American literary theoretician and one of the founding fathers in the field of Postcolonialism. Born in Palestine, Said strongly supported the establishment of an independent Palestine state. He is best known for his 1978 book Orientalism, which critiques Western attitudes towards Eastern culture and history and which was highly influential in revolutionizing Middle Eastern studies. In his seminal work, he argued that Western perceptions of Eastern culture are biased and based largely on stereotypical beliefs. Said’s work has gone on to influence a vast array of individuals, including prominent writers such as Robert Fisk and Hamid Dabashi.