Palestinian American poet, translator, and physician Dr. Fady Joudah will deliver the annual Edward W. Said London Lecture 2026, entitled Notes on Solidarity.
Drawing on his work across poetry, translation, and political thought, Joudah will examine the need for solidarity with Palestine in the English-speaking world to move beyond its current limits of capitalist morality and symbolic gesture. Instead, he calls for a deeper reckoning with Palestinian sovereignty as it is understood through the Arabic language and lived Palestinian experience.
The author of several acclaimed poetry collections, as well as the forthcoming hybrid work of poems, essays and photographs, Exhibit G (Milkweed Editions), Joudah will be joined by Director of Makan and Chair of British Palestinian Committee Aimee Shalan for a conversation and Q&A session.
The Edward W. Said London Lecture is presented by Mosaic Rooms and the A.M. Qattan Foundation with the support of the London Review of Books.
Dr. Fady Joudah: Notes on Solidarity
Thursday 15 October 2026, 19:00pm
The Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, Kensington, London SW7 2AR
Tickets: £11.50 - £15
Link: mosaicrooms.org/edward-w-said-lecture-2026
Co-hosted by Mosaic Rooms and the A.M. Qattan Foundation, since its inception in 2010 the lecture series has been animated by Edward Said’s spirit and approach to the urgent scholarly, literary and political work of his lifetime.
Conceived as a major annual fixture in the cultural life of the UK, the lecture was inaugurated at the British Museum before a packed international audience, and has since welcomed speakers of exceptional distinction.
2026 marks the return of the Edward W. Said London Lecture, following a hiatus last year. Mosaic Rooms also announced its reopening to the public in February this year, after a year of extensive refurbishment and organizational reconfiguration. The reopening marks a significant institutional milestone as Mosaic Rooms enters a new chapter. At a moment marked by global crises, eroding human rights, and the intensifying censorship and silencing of voices, particularly those speaking out for Palestine, Mosaic Rooms recommits itself as a space of refuge, resistance and critical cultural exchange. Under the leadership of newly appointed Director Pip Day, alongside the organisation’s team and recently formed Board of Trustees, Mosaic Rooms continues its work honouring the histories and lived experiences that shape communities locally and across the Arab region, its diasporas and beyond.
Previous Edward W. Said London Lectures:
• 2024 Raji Sourani: Is the Gaza War the end of International Humanitarian Law?
• 2023 Francesca Albanese: What have we learned from Edward Said on the Question of Palestine?
• 2022 Abdulrazak Gurnah: The Significance of Place and Effects of Displacement
• 2019 Susan M. Akram, Hassan Jabareen, Wadie Said and Philippe Sands: Is Justice Still Possible?
• 2018 Amira Hass: The Preventable: Israeli Fantasies and Techniques of Population Expulsion
• 2017 Mahmood Mamdani: Justice Not Revenge – Examining the Concept of Revolutionary Justice
• 2016 Naomi Klein: Let Them Drown – The Violence of Othering in a Warming World
• 2015 Daniel Barenboim: The Role of Music in Life
• 2014 Raja Shehadeh: Is There a Language of Peace?
• 2013 Noam Chomsky: Violence and Dignity: Reflections on the Middle East
• 2012 Ahdaf Soueif: Edward Said and the Egyptian Revolution
• 2011 Rashid Khalidi: Human Dignity in Jerusalem
• 2010 Marina Warner: Oriental Masquerade – Fiction and Fantasy in the Wake of the Arabian Nights
Notes to Editors
Fady Joudah is the author of […] (Out-Spoken Press), a finalist for the National Book Award, shortlisted for the Forward Prizes for Poetry and a winner of the Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize, and Exhibit G (Milkweed Editions). His other poetic works include: The Earth in the Attic; Alight; Textu, a book-long sequence of short poems whose meter is based on cellphone character count; Footnotes in the Order of Disappearance; and Tethered to Stars. He has translated several collections of poetry from the Arabic and is the co-editor and co-founder of the Etel Adnan Poetry Prize. He was a winner of the Yale Series of Younger Poets competition and has received the Jackson Poetry Prize, a PEN award, a Banipal/Times Literary Supplement prize from the UK, the Griffin Poetry Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Arab American Book Award. He lives in Houston, with his wife and kids, where he practices internal medicine.
Aimee Shalan is Director of Makan. Makan is an independent, non-partisan organisation dedicated to interconnected learning, providing transformative education aimed at strengthening the movement for Palestinian liberation. She is also a Trustee of Friends of Birzeit University (Fobzu), a policy member of the Palestinian policy network, Al Shabaka, and Chair of the British-Palestinian Committee. Her previous roles have included: Chief Executive of Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), Director of Friends of Birzeit University (Fobzu) and Co-founder and Director of Pressure Cooker Arts, a not-for-profit arts and advocacy organisation. She has been a regular contributor to the Guardian and other media outlets. Aimee holds a doctorate in the Politics of Palestinian Literature.
About Edward W. Said London Lecture Series | Literary critic, writer, activist, and spokesperson for the Palestinian cause, Edward Said (1935-2003) was one of the most influential intellectuals of his time. Supported by the A. M. Qattan Foundation and London Review of Books, the lecture series aims to promote his spirit through the continued examination of the links between culture and politics in the Middle East and across the world. With previous lectures by Abuldrazak Gurnah, Susan M. Akram, Hassan Jabareen, Wadie Said, Philippe Sands, Amira Hass, Mahmood Mamdani, Naomi Klein, Marina Warner, Rashid Khalidi, Ahdaf Soueif, Raja Shehadeh, Noam Chomsky and Daniel Barenboim, the series gives his legacy a public platform in the very heart of cultural and intellectual life in the UK.
About Mosaic Rooms | Founded in London in 2008 by the A.M. Qattan Foundation, Mosaic Rooms supports and amplifies contemporary culture from the Arab world and beyond. Now operating as an independent charity, Mosaic Rooms enters a new chapter, while remaining rooted in its founding values. mosaicrooms.org
About A.M. Qattan Foundation | Established in 1993, the Foundation is a registered independent charity (No. 1029450) in the United Kingdom. Our journey began in Palestine in 1998 (No. QR-0035-F), where we have remained dedicated to serving culture, education, and the arts in both Palestine and the broader Arab world. Our mission is to cultivate a vibrant and enriching environment for knowledge creation, fostering a society that adopts freedom, open dialogue, and a profound appreciation for science, art, and literature. This vision is deeply rooted in the intricate and diverse Palestinian and Arab context. Today, Al-Qattan Foundation delivers its services through two primary programs, tailored to benefit Palestinians worldwide. We operate through our cultural centers in Ramallah and Gaza, as well as the Mosaic Rooms in the United Kingdom. With a steadfast commitment to long-term initiatives, our Foundation implements projects and activities that positively impact artists, cultural practitioners, educators, students, children, and their families. We engage a broad spectrum of individuals interested in the fields of art, culture, and education across various disciplines. www.qattanfoundation.org