Linda Christanty is an author and journalist born in Bangka (an island near the east coast of South Sumatra). Her essay, Militerisme dan Kekerasan di Timor Leste, (Militarism and Violence in Timor Leste) won an award for the best essay in 1998. Her collection of short stories, Kuda Terbang Maria Pinto, (Maria Pinto’s Flying Horse), won the Khatulistiwa Literary Award 2004, the most prestigious literary award in Indonesia. Besides fiction, she has also written features for newspapers like Sinar Harapan (Jakarta), Flores Pos (Flores), Pontianak Pos (Kalimantan), Fajar Pos (Sulawesi), Serambi Indonesia (Aceh, Sumatra), and Suara Timor Lorosae (East Timor). She currently lives in Banda Aceh and is the chief editor of Pantau Feature Service.