Edward Said (1935-2003), was one of the world's most celebrated and influential public intellectuals. He is the author of more than 20 books that have been translated into 36 languages, including the seminal Orientalism (1979), Culture and Imperialism (1993) and Freud and the Non-European (2003). He began teaching at Columbia University in 1963 and became University Professor of English and Comparative Literature there in 1992. He was a spokesman and activist for the Palestinian cause. He was the recipient of numerous prizes and honours, including 20 honorary doctorates.