Lani Wendt Young (born in Apia, Samoa) is a published writer, editor, publisher and journalist. She is the author of nine books including the bestselling Telesa series. She is married to Darren Young and together they have five children. She is also the niece of well-known Author & Writer - Albert Wendt. Lani Wendt Young is giving the 2019 NZ Book Council annual lecture. Her YA Telesa Series is a core text in university Pacific Literature papers throughout the world, ranked number one on the Top Rated World Literature listing and the most borrowed books by any Pasifika writer in the Auckland Libraries. Wendt Young's 2015 contemporary romance series - Scarlet Lies and Scarlet Secrets, debuted on the Australian Top 100 bestseller list and was Amazon's number one Hot New Release. To date, she has nine books published and digitally distributed worldwide, as well as a large selection of short stories and essays. Her essays incorporate topics such as feminism, culture, religion, domestic violence and child sexual abuse, which have created dialogue in many forums worldwide. She is commended for her inventiveness in her writing ambitions, making reading attractive to young readers. She has an army of followers through the Pacific diaspora.