.jpg%3Fwidth%3D800&w=3840&q=75)
Pico Iyer
Travel writer & author of The Art of Stillness | 15 books on travel, belonging, and finding home
Pico Iyer is a Creative Thinking speaker who has appeared at 7 events including TED and TED2025, most recently in 2026.
.jpg%3Fwidth%3D800&w=3840&q=75)
About
Pico Iyer is one of the world's most beloved travel writers, author of 15 books including 'The Art of Stillness,' 'Video Night in Kathmandu,' and 'The Open Road. ' His essays for Time, The New York Times, and other publications have defined how a generation thinks about travel, home, and belonging.
Born in England to Indian parents and raised in California, he has lived in Japan for over 30 years, giving him unique perspective on cultural identity and displacement. His TED talks on stillness and the art of doing nothing have been viewed millions of times.
With 6 talks at major events, he speaks on finding meaning through travel, the value of stillness in a busy world, and what it means to belong nowhere and everywhere.
Talks8
Silence, the Universal Medicine
In a world growing louder, faster and more fractured, author Pico Iyer makes the case for a radical act of repair. Explore why tapping into silence may be the best medicine you can give yourself, and everyone around you. (Recorded at TED2025 on April 11, 2025) Join us in person at a TED conference: https://tedtalks.social/events Become a TED Member to support our mission: https://ted.com/membership Subscribe to a TED newsletter: https://ted.com/newsletters Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ted Facebook: https://facebook.com/TED LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferences TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world's leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design - plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit https://TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. Watch more: https://go.ted.com/picoiyer26 https://youtu.be/VoPDKjFHIDU TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (or the CC BY - NC - ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com #TED #TEDTalks #PersonalGrowth
Silence, the universal medicine

What ping-pong taught me about life
More Talks
The beauty of what we'll never know
The art of stillness
Where is home?
Silence, the universal medicine
Pico Iyer at Aspen Ideas Festival 2022
| Event | Year | Location | Talks |
|---|---|---|---|
| TED | 2026 | 🇨🇦Vancouver, Canada | 1 |
| TED2025 | 2026 | 🇨🇦Vancouver, Canada | 1 |
| Aspen Ideas Festival | 2025 | 🇺🇸Aspen, United States | 1 |
| TEDSummit 2019 | 2019 | 1 | |
| TED 2016 | 2016 | 🇨🇦Vancouver, Canada | 1 |
| TED 2014 | 2014 | 🇨🇦Vancouver, Canada | 1 |
| TED 2013 | 2013 | 🇺🇸Long Beach, United States | 1 |
| TED2025 | 1 | ||
| Aspen Ideas Festival | 1 |
At a Glance
Is this you?
Claim this profile to edit your bio, add talks, and get verified.
Know a talk we're missing?
Get in Touch
Save for Later
Who has Pico shared a stage with?
Speakers who appeared at the same event editions as Pico
| Speaker | Shared events | Where they appeared together |
|---|---|---|
| Rokia TraoreMalian Singer-Songwriter | Cultural Bridges Through Music | 3 | TED 2013, TED 2016, TEDSummit 2019View shared history → |
| Adam GrantOrganizational psychologist | Bestselling author exploring motivation, generosity, and human potential | 2 | TED 2016, TED 2025View shared history → |
| Andrew SolomonAuthor & Psychologist | Mental Health and Cultural Identity | 2 | TED 2013, TED 2014View shared history → |
| Bruce FeilerAuthor and speaker | Expert on life transitions and modern family dynamics | 2 | TED 2013, TED 2026View shared history → |
| Christopher SoghoianPrivacy Advocate | Exposing Government Surveillance Tools | 2 | TED 2013, TED 2016View shared history → |
| David EpsteinAward-Winning Author | The Science of Athletic Performance | 2 | TED 2014, TED 2025View shared history → |
| Eric LiuCitizen University CEO | Former Clinton speechwriter, teaching Americans how to exercise civic power | 2 | TED 2013, TED 2016View shared history → |
| George MonbiotEnvironmental writer and rewilding advocate | Ecological restoration and political narrative change | 2 | TED 2013, TEDSummit 2019View shared history → |
Similar Speakers
Related by topic and shared stages

Lawrence Lessig
Harvard Law professor & Creative Commons founder | Fighting for free culture and democracy reform
Both at TED 2014, TED 2013
Sarah Jones
Tony Award-winning performer | Multi-character artist, UNICEF Ambassador
Both at TED 2014, Aspen Ideas Festival 2025
Explore related directories
Conferences, directories, and industries connected to Pico Iyer

