Author and historian Ian Burnet grew up in South Gippsland in Victoria, Australia, and has spent thirty years living, working and travelling in Indonesia and wider Southeast Asia. His fascination for the diverse history and culture of the Indonesian archipelago is reflected in his books Spice Islands, East Indies, Archipelago: A Journey Across Indonesia, Where Australia Collides with Asia, The Tasman Map and his latest work, Joseph Conrad's Eastern Voyages.