John Anthony Howkins (born 3 August 1945) is a British author and speaker on Creative Industries, particularly the development of this economic sector in China.

He is a former chairman of the London Film School and is a former Executive Director of the International Institute of Communications, an independent, non-profit membership organization that focusses on critical policy and regulatory issues in the telecom and media.

He was editor of InterMediate, Vision (the BAFTA journal) and The National Electronics Review.

He has a BA in International Relations (Keele University) and a AA (Dip) and MA in Urban Design (Architectural Association).

The original, essential book[2] on the creative economy, first published in 2001 and updated in 2007 and 2013.