Pico Iyer is a British-born American essayist and novelist, best known for his travel writing. He is the author of numerous books on crossing cultures.

Having grown up a part of — and apart from — English, American and Indian cultures, he became one of the first writers to take the international airport itself as his subject, along with the associated jet lag, displacement and cultural minglings. He writes often of his delight in living between the cracks and outside fixed categories. Most of his books have been about trying to see from within some society or way of life.