Michael Vatikiotis has been a writer, broadcaster and journalist in Asia for more than 35 years. With family origins in the Middle East, he has lived in Egypt, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand as well as Hong Kong. He has written three books on Asian politics: “Indonesian Politics Under Suharto” and “Political Change in Southeast Asia.” Most recently (2017): “Blood and Silk: Power and Conflict in Modern Southeast Asia”. His published fiction includes two novels set in Indonesia, “The Spice Garden” (2006) and “The Painter of Lost Souls” (2012). His latest book is “Lives Between the Lines: A Journey in Search of the Lost Levant” will be published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson in August 2021.
Vatikiotis currently lives in Singapore working for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Geneva-based private foundation that facilitates dialogue to resolve armed conflicts, and is a regular broadcaster and contributor to the opinion page of several newspapers. Vatikiotis is a graduate of the School of Oriental and African Studies in London, earned his doctorate, which was on Thailand, from Oxford University, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Maryland. He is a member of the Asia Society’s International Council and speaks the Thai and Indonesian languages fluently. Follow him on twitter, and instagram.
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