Leila Goodheart
Author of The Kingdom of Pandasia
Leila Goodheart whose real name is Nadira Ben is a freelance writer. She has always loved to write but only started publishing in 2019. Her first book, easy guide to restore your health was written under the pen name of Zarah Ben. This is a 62 page guide to help you achieve your wellness using alternative medicine. The second book written under the pen name of Leila Goodheart, “The Kingdom of Pandasia,”was published in 2023 and follows the story of an adopted teenage girl named Cassandra, who is endowed with extraordinary powers.
Leila was born in Algiers but raised in France. She is a multilingual and bicultural woman. She studied classical Arabic, Persian, and Turkish at University. She then decided to study for English Language and Literature degree from Aix-en-Provence University in France. Shortly after, she had to leave her studies and gotten married, but unfortunately, the marriage didn’t work out.
Leila then decided to move to London and start a new chapter in her life. She comes from a working-class family and knows the importance of hard work and determination. Soon she began working as Teaching Assistant. Working with autistic and non-autistic children gives her so much joy, being able to help and enrich the young minds, being a part of their development is an exhilarating experience.
She is an avid traveler and enjoys exploring new places and cultures. She traveled to Southeast Asia, Turkey, Middle East, and much of Europe. She has great interest in Chinese food, culture and mythology. After years traveling, and exploring, she decided to get back to her passion—writing!
She first discovered her love for writing in high school, where she took creative writing classes and enjoyed sharing her stories with classmates. Slowly but surely, her interest in writing books developed as she was an avid daydreamer with a creative mind and always came up with new stories.
“In my childhood, I used to tell stories to my schoolmates. They used to gather around me and listened to me with passion. Reading books has always been a way to escape my routine and I enjoyed this old good time.”
Her works are predominantly fantasy-themed, drawing inspiration from her extensive knowledge of Chinese mythology. She aims to provide a fresh and engaging perspective on storytelling for young readers, encouraging them to explore new worlds and dream big. This led her to publish her book titled “The Kingdom of Pandasia.”
The story focuses on Cassandra, who finds out that she belongs, in fact, to the Kingdom of Pandasia. Her mission is to protect the kingdom against its enemies thanks to four magical creatures: The white tiger, the black tortoise, the red bird, and the azure dragon.
