An award-winning reporter and columnist, Pallavi Aiyar has worked as a foreign correspondent for over two decades from China, Europe, Indonesia and Japan. She is the author of several books including the China-memoir, Smoke and Mirrors; the novels Chinese Whiskers and Jakarta Tails; and New Old World, an exploration of contemporary Europe’s challenges. Her latest book is Orienting: An Indian in Japan. She is currently an Adjunct Professor of Media and Communications at IE University in Madrid.