On 16 May 2026, people gathered at the University of Kent to hear Edward Said, Palestinian-American postcolonial theorist, in his own voice: excerpts from original recordings of his lectures delivered at the University in 1985.
The gathering explored emerging debates on Palestine, West Asia, the legacies of empire, the role of the intellectual, and the global importance of Humanism, and discussed the enduring influence of Said’s ideas on the most urgent questions of our times, and how his thinking still shapes how we understand culture, power, and empire in 2026.
Special guest Professor Wadie E. Said, Professor of Law at the University of Colorado School of Law, spoke about his father’s legacy.
Summary video:
Plenary session recordings, featuring:
Jessica Elias (Kent Law School, University of Kent)
Dr Haifa Mahabir (School of Humanities, University of Kent)
Prof Wadie Said (University of Colorado School of Law)
Dr Khawla Badwan (Department of Languages, Linguistics and TESOL, Manchester Metropolitan University)
Dr Basma El Doukhi (School of Social Sciences, University of Kent)
Dr Shahd Hammouri (Kent Law School, University of Kent)
