“For people who are at the bottom economically, the world is becoming a harder and harder place. And yet the incentives to become rich are so great because enormous amounts of wealth are being accumulated. And so those two things, that carrot and stick, are beating people along this trajectory of trying desperately to move up in the world.”

British Pakistani novelist, writer and brand consultant

Mohsin Hamid is a British Pakistani novelist, writer, and brand consultant. He is known for fiction that has drawn wide attention, including novels published from 2000 to 2022. His books include Moth Smoke, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, Exit West, and The Last White Man. His work is marked by sharp contemporary settings and a close look at identity, migration, ambition, and change.