Saree Makdisi

Saree Makdisi is a Professor in the Department of Comparative Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He holds a BA in English and Economics from Wesleyan University (1987) and a PhD in Literature from Duke University (1993). His research bridges British Romanticism, imperial culture, postcolonial theory, and urban modernity studies, with a focus on contested spaces like London, Beirut, and Jerusalem. He regularly contributes op-eds on contemporary Arab world issues to major publications such as the Los Angeles Times and London Review of Books.

Current projects include London’s Modernities, examining urban mapping from the 19th century to today. His major publications span postcolonial critique (Palestine Inside Out), imperial historiography (Romantic Imperialism), and Blakean literary analysis (Reading William Blake). His work interrogates how colonial legacies shape contemporary geopolitical discourses and cultural formations.

Makdisi’s teaching emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, blending literary analysis with critical theory and historical context. His office is located at 298 Kaplan Hall, and he can be reached at makdisi@humnet.ucla.edu.