Helen was born and raised in Pontefract West Yorkshire.
She ignored everyone’s advice, studied law at Hull University and practised as a solicitor for ten years. She quickly built a loyal following of teens in care who drove her crackers, made her laugh and nicked all the biscuits.
In 2003, she wrote a novel for a bit of fun. Damaged Goods was published in 2005 and Helen has now written eleven crime novels. Helen then turned her hand to screenwriting, winning the Kudos North Award for her first script, an original television pilot Galaxy.
Episodes followed including Grantchester (Kudos/ITV) and Joan (Snowed-In Productions/ITV).
Helen’s single film, Life and Death in the Warehouse (BBC Studios/BBC), won a BAFTA Cymru Award, an RTS and was nominated for a Broadcast Award, a BAFTA and an International Emmy.
Helen co-wrote the award-winning Time 2 (BBC Studios/BBC) with creator Jimmy McGovern, starring Bella Ramsey, Tamara Lawrence and Jodie Whittaker. And four episodes of her original six-part domestic thriller The Wives (Gaumont UK/Channel 5).
Helen is in active development on a number of original projects for UK broadcasters and her Lilly Valentine novels are optioned to Studio Crook.
Helen Black is represented by Frances Arnold