Lavanya Sankaran

Hedgebrook Board Member

Lavanya Sankaran is a writer, best known for her literary fiction. The Red Carpet, a celebrated short story collection, and her debut novel, The Hope Factory, are award-winning international best-sellers, critically acclaimed by the Washington Post, Guardian, Newsweek, Publisher’s Weekly, and Kirkus among others. Nine US publishers competed in a three-day auction for the rights to these books.

Lavanya leads a transformational masterclass on fierce, compassionate storytelling, for writers and for business and community leaders. She loves experimenting with storytelling in other forms, including acting, film-making, and screenwriting. She is currently working on a memoir about her three years as an acting student in New York City. She is passionate about championing the creative voices of others: through writing fellowships, producing Off-Broadway theater, and by supporting literary, arts, and humanities organizations in India and America. She also serves on the Board of Nrityagram, the famed Odissi dance village. Lavanya is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and lives between Bangalore and New York.