Pieretta Dawn

Pieretta Dawn (born January 28, 1994) is the pen name of Praekarn (Pier) Nirandara (Thai: แพรกานต์ นิรันดร), the youngest English-writing author in Thailand. She received national critical acclaim when her debut young adult novel The Mermaid Apprentices, the first of The Interspecies Trilogy, was published at age 15 in 2009 by NanmeeBooks. The novel was originally written in English, and Sumalee (Thai: สุมาลี บำรุงสุข), translator of the Harry Potter series, provided translation for the Thai version. The novel has also been published in Italian by Fazi Editore. Various writers have praised her work for its creativity, including S.E.A. Write Award winners Jiranan Pitpreecha and Binlah Sonkalagiri.
Since the publication of her book, she has attended UNESCO symposiums, book events, and visited numerous schools to promote reading and writing among Thai students. She has also appeared on radio and television interviews such as the popular VIP talk show, Dek Dee Ded, School Bus, and newspapers including Bangkok Post, The Nation (Thailand), and has been selected to be one of six Brand Ambassadors for the Bangkok Metropolitan's campaign "Bangkok Read for Life" in association with UNESCO. She was also awarded the Outstanding Youth Award by the Office of the Educational Council, and added to Thailand's Writer's Hall of Fame. In 2014, she was a short story finalist in the S.E.A. Write Award's ASEAN Young Writers Award, and was officially selected by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration as a delegate to attend the One Young World conference in Dublin.
In 2012, Dawn wrote a short story titled Lani and The White Witch for Kasikornbank. The story is a tie-in with the bank's recent television commercial, and was released for free in English and Thai on the Kasikornbank's Facebook page. Two other authors also wrote stories for the commercial project, including Thailand's ex-Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's sister, S.E.A. Write Award winner Ngarmpun Vejjajiva.
Dawn has stated that she is currently working on writing her third book, The Elven Ambassador, along with an upcoming graphic novel adaptation of The Nymph Treasury.

The Interspecies Trilogy

Dawn's debut trilogy, set in the modern day alongside a parallel universe full of mythical creatures. Having traveled to approximately 40 countries around the world, her experience with stories such as Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid and other folklore in Thai culture were said to spark her love for mermaids, "inspiring [her] to write about something that is rare in today's young adult market - as many books involve elves, wizards, and vampires". She has said that her first attempt to write a book was at the age of six, and that the story at that time was also about children and mermaids.

The Mermaid Apprentices

Leilah, an amnesiac orphan, and Nathair, a jaded young boy working in the black markets to help support his sick mother, are normal teenagers leading tough lives on the Pacific island of Mondreside. Quite suddenly, their existences are intruded upon by a mysterious figure: Ora Seabright. Thus begins their journey as Mermaid Apprentices—hybrids-in-training preparing themselves to become interspecies Ambassadors between the human race and the Merfolk. They are immediately thrown into a world of political espionage, where dealing with illegal interspecies smuggling and conflicts with the notorious Merfia are only the tip of their iceberg of dilemmas. The Apprentices' largest test comes when the Mernister's daughter is kidnapped, and it is up to them to put aside their differences and resolve the problem before it's too late.

The Nymph Treasury

Official blurb: "With lives on the line, whole species at risk, and tragic pasts rapidly catching up with the present, what's in store for the Mermaid Apprentices?

More than a year has passed since the incident in Mermifica, and Leilah and Nathair's lives are at peace. But before long, the introduction of a mysterious figure from a former life causes a series of unforeseen events, and soon differences surface between the two Apprentices, threatening the very fiber of their friendship and ultimately the existence of the future Mermaid Ambassadors.

Meanwhile, with female creatures being abducted and taken to the shady underwater city of Tersiren for some unknown purpose, Ora's attempt to take matters into her own hands takes an unexpected turn, and she makes a shocking discovery that could potentially endanger the entire underwater community, along with the lives of her Apprentices.

From Mondreside to Mermifica, and now to Hinanympha, the second volume of the Interspecies Trilogy takes you even deeper into the mythical world under the sea, where histories are revealed, sacrifices are made, and lives are inevitably lost."

The Elven Ambassador

The third and final installment of The Interspecies Trilogy. There is currently no release date. Dawn has stated on her official Facebook page that "Leilah and Nathair have both grown up immensely, and are now attempting to find answers to the mysteries revealed in book 2. Ora is on a quest of her own, hoping to uncover secrets hidden within Mermaid history—secrets that link back to the ancient underwater wars of the past. Her actions lead her to figure out the significance of the Reaper's Amulet, and just how personal things can get. I'm going to finish off this trilogy with an explosive ending—one filled with a myriad of flashbacks, tear-jerking family histories, a grand villain you might just feel sorry for, Atlantis, and the Land of the Elves!"

Graphic Novel Adaptations

The Mermaid Apprentices: The Graphic Novel

A graphic novel adaptation of the first novel from The Interspecies Trilogy, released in early 2012. The artwork was completed by a freelance artist, Nonworld. A Thai version has also previously been available at 7-Eleven stores in Thailand.

The Nymph Treasury: The Graphic Novel

A graphic novel adaptation of the second novel from The Interspecies Trilogy. The novel was split into two parts, the first to be released early 2013, with the second following shortly after.

Short stories and other projects

Lani and The White Witch