bio

Lani is a Canadian born Australian writer, who wrote her first poem in grade three and voluntarily stumbled her way through reading Shakespeare in her teens. She writes non-fiction and is currently seeking representation for her first memoir, while working on her second.

Lani was often a little bit on the fringe growing up in her family of only brothers, and so the grief of losing her relationship with her Mother at the age of eighteen left her without a compass. Four months after her Mother died, Lani moved from Canada to Australia, embarking on what became a decades long search for belonging, as she unwittingly tried to escape her grief. She moved countries seven times and travelled to all seven continents in the pursuit of connection and a deeper understanding of what ‘home’ means.

A spiritual seeker from a young age, Lani became a yoga teacher in 2003. Her yearning for personal peace and her inner sense of segregation from the world, propelled her into devoting herself to an austere life in a yoga ashram. While immersed in the intensity of that kindred community, she grew into new understandings about love, family and herself.

She also encountered heart shattering lessons in faith, trust and integrity, which ultimately led to disunion.

After her departure from the ashram, she returned to her decade long career in event organising, with her previous employer in London. Unable to readjust to the ‘real’ world, she embarked on a six month pilgrimage in India.

Torn about where to next make her home, she decided to return to Australia and began working for a small publishing house, which unfortunately hit financial troubles. Lani moved on to working in an administrative role at Sydney University’s Faculty of Arts, while training to become an editor.

Soon after attending her first immersive writing retreat in 2012, she embraced her passion for words and began to pursue writing full time.

Lani now lives on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia, with her husband and their oversized Yorkshire Terrier, Ganesh. When not writing, Lani can be found out in nature, often frustrating her dog by slowing up their walks while she takes a bounty of photos.