hirata released "laskar pelangi" in 2005. the novel, was written in a period of six months, and was based on his childhood experiences in belitung; he later described it as "an irony about a lack of access to education for children in one of the world's wealthiest islands.". the novel went on to sell five million copies, with pirated editions selling 15 million more. it also spawned three sequels: "sang pemimpi" ("the dreamer"), "edensor" and "maryamah karpov".