Nalicia Sawh-Boen was born in Guyana but grew up in Queens. She now lives in Long Island with her husband and three cats. Originally a pre-med student, Nalicia works in HR and has a Master’s in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology and is pursuing her 2nd Master’s in Quantitative Methods and Modeling.

A lifelong reader, she enjoys writing and won the Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Contest in 3rd grade and various essay contests throughout the years. Growing up, she didn’t see many books that reflected her experiences as a woman of South Asian descent or as a West Indian woman. She hopes to write picture books that explore her heritage and increase the visibility of her community.

In her spare time, Nalicia loves antiquing and collecting Barbie dolls - she has over 130 Barbie dolls! She is also a member of Long Island’s SCBWI chapter.