About

As a child, I was often asked, “what do you want to be?”
Naturally, that was my focus.

As I grew up, I reframed this to, “who do I want to be?”

Sadia Ali Heil is a writer & poet, educator & advocate, and veteran who grew up inspired by South Asian stories of family and faith.

After college, a calling to serve led Sadia to the Air Force—where she earned a Master’s of Military Operational Art and Science and fulfilled her dreams of traveling the world. Some of her most remarkable memories involve eating fresh-caught octopus in the Maldives, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, and savoring fresh guava while hiking to a Big Island waterfall.

Sadia’s words and poems have been published in The Lily by The Washington Post, Romper, Collateral Journal, Airman Magazine, and The War Horse, where she was selected as a 2022 Writing Fellow.

After earning a master’s in Special Education, Sadia was compelled to write for children. In 2023, she was selected as a KWELI Sing the Truth! Mentee and a SCBWI Work-In-Progress winner. In 2024, Sadia was distinguished as a Highlights Foundation Muslim Storyteller, where she was selected for the whole novel program.

Sadia is especially passionate about representation in children’s literature: Inclusion starts in early childhood. Her debut picture book, Baba’s Car (Candlewick Press), is set for publication in Spring 2026.