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, the latest, Hard as Nails, was published in December 2020.
When Helen first turned her hand to screenwriting she won the Kudos North Award for her original television pilot Galaxy.
She hit the ground running, writing an episode for LA Productions series Clink and an episode for series 10 of Death in Paradise (Red Planet/BBC). Helen now has original projects in development with Gaumont, Left Bank Pictures, Cosmopolitan Pictures, and has adapted her own novels Taking Liberties into a series for Snowed-In – Liberty. She has written pilot scripts, The Farm, and At Risk for Rollem’s BBC New Talent Initiative and Bandit Cornwall respectively.
Helen’s single film, Life and Death in the Warehouse was nominated in the Television Drama Category in the BAFTA Cymru Awards 2022 and Broadcast Awards 2023, written for BBC Studios tx March 2022.
She has also co-written episode one of Gimme Shelter, a three part drama for Endor, and Beach Boy, a treatment for BBC Studios, both with Courttia Newland.
Helen Black is represented by Frances Arnold