Andrea Hirata is an Indonesian author best known for his 2005 novel Laskar Pelangi ("The Rainbow Troops") and its sequels.

Under a bright sunny sky, the three-day Byron Bay Writers’ Festival welcomed Andrea Hirata who charmed audiences with his modesty and gracious behavior during two sessions. Andrea also attended a special event where he and Tim Baker, an Australian surfing writer, spoke to a gathering of several hundred school children. During one session, Andrea was on a panel with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist from Washington, DC, Katharine Boo, which he said was a great honor.

The August event for the school children was very meaningful to Andrea, the barefooted boy from Belitung, as he made mental comparisons with the educational opportunities of these children, compared to what he experienced. And now his own life story is about to become even more amazing.