About Pier Nirandara

“I go to seek a Great Perhaps.” — Francois Rabelais, French poet

My name is Pier Nirandara, and welcome to my travel blog Pier’s Great Perhaps! Inspired by the quote by Francois Rabelais, I wanted to capture that feeling of insatiable wanderlust, and the desire to explore what else is out there.

Who am I?

I’m an author, underwater photographer, and traveler — but most of all, I’m a storyteller at heart. I began my career writing children’s novels, and speaking on the importance of literature. Now, I work in Hollywood bringing stories to the big screen.

As an avid reader of many travel blogs, I noticed most are written by full-time travelers. Though this is an incredible lifestyle, I want to balance a long-term career while also scratching that travel itch. I guess you could say there’s a desire to have my cake and eat it too! It’s a lot to juggle, but doable with smart planning.

My goals:

    • Create a community for fellow wanderlusters who seek a work/travel balance and have a zest for exploration
    • Increase awareness for other cultures and awareness for wildlife conservation
  • Highlight the importance of storytelling in evoking change

From backpacking adventures to 5-star hotels, this blog chronicles my globe-trotting misadventures around the world, with guides and tips on travel, photography and food (yum!) Feel free to comment, share, or let me know what else you’d like to see.

Some quick fun facts:

  • Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand

  • Currently reside in: Los Angeles, California

  • Work: author of children’s books, and representing book to film rights in Hollywood (yes, that Hollywood!)

  • Traveled to: over 90 countries, all 7 continents

  • I write young adult novels under the pen name Pieretta Dawn, and have a lot of experience as a guest speaker

  • I’m an avid photographer and scuba diver. You can check out my photography and purchase prints here!
  • I’m obsessed with food, outdoor sports, and love all sorts of art — photography, poetry, film, music, you name it

Have questions, comments, or business inquiries? Feel free to contact me!

For my press bio, please see below:

Pier Nirandara is a bestselling author and underwater photographer from Bangkok, Thailand. As a lifelong lover of the ocean and its habitants (fantastical or otherwise), Pier began her career as Thailand’s youngest author at age 15 when her YA novel, The Mermaid Apprentices,  received critical acclaim in 2009. Citing her experience growing up in a multicultural environment, she was inspired to “write a children’s fantasy series that tackles themes of identity, prejudice, morality, and social responsibility.” Her novels, graphic novels, and short stories have sold over 100,000 copies in multiple languages.

Since then, Pier has worked to promote literature as Brand Ambassador for the Bangkok Metropolitan/UNESCO, speaking at events including TEDx conferences and the Brahmaputra Literary Festival in India. She was included in the Thailand Writers’ Hall of Fame, the Thai-American Friendship exhibit by the US Embassy and Tourism Authority of Thailand, and was nominated as a delegate for the 2014 One Young World conference in Dublin. Pier also serves as a judge for the Neilson Hays Young Writers Competition, and is a recipient of the Outstanding Youth Award. Her short story, Fah, was shortlisted for the S.E.A. Write’s ASEAN Young Writers Award.

As a passionate solo traveler, Pier has visited over 90 countries across 7 continents, scuba diving in many of them. She founded the first Hollywood Scuba Divers club, and hopes to use storytelling to bring attention to fragile ecosystems and marine wildlife. She currently resides in Los Angeles, and can be found @piersgreatperhaps and piernirandara.com