Emeli Sione is of Tongan and Niuean descent. Emeli resides in Wellington with her husband George and three children, Alei, and twins Brooke and Jackson. Emeli works as a Consultant Editor for Lift Education Publishers, she has worked on many educational resources as an editor and a writer for Ready to Read series, Tupu series, and most recently the New Zealand Ministry of Education's new Poto Book Series.