Advocate + Storyteller
Alexii Athena Lardis (she/her) is a writer and educator whose work explores the intersection of global citizenship and personal narrative. A two-time Fulbright Scholar with two Master’s degrees from Columbia University, Alexii’s literary perspective is shaped by her travels to sixty countries and her tenure teaching history and English in the Bronx.
A proud UNC alumna and veteran educator dedicated to fostering global competence through narrative, Alexii’s literary voice has been honed both on the page and the stage. A Moth StorySLAM finalist and performer, she has refined her craft under the tutelage of Adam Wade, Brett Paesel, and Christopher Reed, bringing a performer’s ear for pacing to her prose. Her published work includes contributions to The Huffington Post and her Substack, LexGo: Extra Credit!, where she explores the bridge between international heritage and the modern immigrant experience.
A "citizen of the world" and a self-described hopeless romantic, Alexii’s writing is fueled by the same spirit of discovery that led to her debut manuscript, BACK TO BELFAST—a novel that expands upon the true events of her award-winning Moth StorySLAM performance, exploring the heartbreak and healing of finding one’s destiny abroad.
Current Projects
Back to Belfast (Working Title)
Title: Back to Belfast Status: Completed & Polishing (65,000 words)
Genre: Upmarket / Women’s Fiction
Christina Reale has always lived by the plan. But when she discovers a 19th-century lap desk hidden among her late parents’ belongings, the plan unravels. Inside, a cache of letters from 1862—stamped with a mysterious Edinburgh emblem—points to a side of her father she never knew.
Driven by the hope of one final message from the man who called himself a "citizen of the world," Christina leaves North Carolina for a semester at the University of Edinburgh. But the trail doesn't just lead to the past; it leads to a crossroads.
As she peels back the layers of her family’s history, Christina finds herself caught between two worlds: the safe, familiar warmth of her best friend, Drew, and the magnetic, unpredictable pull of Aidan, a Northern Irish athlete who challenges everything she thought she wanted.
BACK TO BELFAST is an evocative exploration of the bridge between the life we meticulously build and the destiny that finds us when we finally stop looking.
It will appeal to readers of Julia Whelan’s My Oxford Year for its blend of academic atmosphere and heart-wrenching romance, and fans of David Nicholls’ One Day for its poignant exploration of fate, timing, and a connection that spans a decade.