Edward Wadie Said (1935–2003) was a prominent Palestinian-American intellectual, academic, literary theorist, literary critic, political activist, and professor at Columbia University, renowned as a co-founder of postcolonial studies and for his foundational contributions to the field. Born in Jerusalem during the British Mandate period, his family was displaced during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, leading them to relocate to Cairo, Egypt, where he spent much of his formative years. He pursued higher education in the United States, earning a bachelor's degree from Princeton University in 1957 and advanced degrees from Harvard University (MA in 1960 and PhD in 1964), both in English literature. Said joined Columbia University in 1963, rising to become University Professor of English and Comparative Literature, a position he held until his death. His scholarly work bridged literature, history, and politics, with a particular focus on the cultural and intellectual representations of the East by the West, critiquing Western perceptions of the Middle East and the Arab world.

Said's most influential book, Orientalism (1978), critiqued Western scholarship and literature for perpetuating colonial stereotypes of the 'Orient,' particularly the Middle East and Asia, and became a cornerstone of postcolonial theory. He was engaged in a decades-long intellectual and personal feud over the nature of Middle East scholarship and Orientalism. He authored over 20 books, including The Question of Palestine (1979) and Culture and Imperialism (1993), which explored themes of exile, identity, and imperialism. As a public intellectual and vocal advocate for Palestinian rights, he served on the Palestinian National Council from 1977 to 1991 and critiqued both Israeli policies and aspects of Palestinian leadership, consistently advocating for a two-state solution and coexistence. His activism extended to music criticism—he was an accomplished pianist and wrote extensively on classical music—and journalism, contributing to publications like The Nation and The Guardian.

Said's life was marked by his hybrid identity as a Palestinian exile in America, which informed his theories on displacement and otherness. He faced controversies, including debates over his personal history and accusations of anti-Semitism from critics of his pro-Palestinian stance. Diagnosed with leukemia in 1991, Said continued his work until his death in New York City in 2003, leaving a legacy that transformed academic discourse in literary theory, Middle Eastern studies, and cultural criticism.