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, 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 best 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 & 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 on April 27, 2027.