Photography Guides
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.
Pier is an advocate for solo female travel, having visited over 80 countries and scuba dived in many of them. Her underwater photography blends fantasy and conservation, bringing attention to fragile ecosystems and marine wildlife. Pier currently resides in Los Angeles, where she works in Hollywood, and can be found @piersgreatperhaps and piernirandara.com