Esteban Antonio Skármeta Vranicic (November 7, 1940 – October 15, 2024) was a Chilean writer, screenwriter, and director. His novel Ardiente paciencia was the basis for the film Il Postino. In Chile, he was popularly known for hosting a television show on literature and the arts. He served as Chile’s ambassador to Germany from 2000 to 2003. In 2014, he was awarded the Chilean National Literature Prize.