Nikil Saval

Nikil Saval is an American magazine editor, writer, organizer, activist, and political candidate.

Saval was born in Los Angeles to parents from Bangalore. He grew up in West Los Angeles. He graduated Columbia University with a B.A. in 2005 and received a Ph.D. in English from Stanford University in 2014.

Saval was a co-editor of n+1,, a frequent contributor to The New York Times, and a contributing writer for The New Yorker, covering architecture and design. He still serves on the board of directors of n+1.

Saval's book, Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace (2014), examines the long-term evolution of the office, from its roots in nineteenth century counting houses to the cubicle, and considers how such workplaces, and the lives of its workers, could be improved in the future. His book was a New York Times notable book of 2014.

Saval was a co-founder of Reclaim Philadelphia, an organization that formed out of the Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign. His group helped elect Larry Krasner to District Attorney in Philadelphia. As of June 4, 2018, Saval is the Democratic Ward Leader of Philadelphia's 2nd Ward.

In 2020, he challenged Democratic incumbent Larry Farnese for his seat in the Pennsylvania State Senate, earning the endorsement of Senator Bernie Sanders in May 2020. Saval based his campaign around a Green New Deal, prison reform, guaranteed affordable housing, redevelopment of Philadelphia schools, and Medicare For All. Saval was declared to have beaten Farnese in the primary by the Associated Press, though mail-in ballots have yet to be counted. As a result, he became the Democratic nominee and de-facto State Senator-elect, as he has no opposition in the general election.

Saval is married to Shannon Garrison. The couple live in Philadelphia with their son.

He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.

Cubed: A Secret History of the Workplace (2014) ISBN 9780385536578