“I was once asked if I was an environmentalist. I said yes, but not the kind that wants to live in a tent.”
Isabel Hilton is a fearless, globe-trotting journalist and environmental advocate known for challenging simplistic narratives about China, climate, and global power. Based in London, she is the founder of China Dialogue, a bilingual platform devoted to fostering environmental and cross-cultural dialogue.
Hilton’s career spans decades of front-line reporting—from Latin America to China and South Asia—across elite publications including The New Yorker, The Guardian, the Financial Times, El País, and Prospect, where she is Contributing Editor. Her books, such as The Search for the Panchen Lama and Eating Mud Crabs in Kandahar, meld investigative rigor with rich storytelling. A visiting professor at King’s College London and a senior associate at Chatham House, she was appointed OBE for her contributions to journalism and environmental awareness.
“One of the most fearless voices on climate and China today, her writing hums with urgency and empathy.” — Prospect Magazine
