Ashani Lewis

Ashani Priya Lewis (born c. 1998) is an English writer. She began her career writing poetry and short fiction, winning the Tower Poetry Prize and the Alpine Fellowship Writing Prize among other accolades. Her debut novel Winter Animals won both a Somerset Maugham Award and the Betty Trask Prize, while her short story collection Everest (2024) was shortlisted for a Jhalak Prize.

Early life Lewis is the older sister of actress Indy Lewis, of Welsh and Sri Lankan heritage. The two sisters attended the Tiffin Girls' School in Kingston upon Thames. Lewis graduated with a degree in English from Robinson College, Cambridge in 2019.

Career Lewis was shortlisted for Amnesty International UK's 2014 Young Reporter Award. Her short story "Threads" was a runner-up for the 2021 Harper's Bazaar Short Story Competition. Through this, Lewis' debut novel Winter Animals and short story collection Everest were both published in 2024. Everest was shortlisted for the 2025 Jhalak Prize in the inaugural Prose category Winter Animals won both a Somerset Maugham Award and the Betty Trask Prize. Lewis was the only author to win multiple Society of Authors (SoA) Awards that year.