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 of Clink (LA Prods) and Death in Paradise (Red Planet/BBC) followed. And more recently, upcoming episodes of Grantchester (Kudos/ITV) and Joan (Snowed-In Productions/ITV).
Helen’s single film, Life and Death in the Warehouse (BBC Studios/BBC) which tx’d in 2022 won a BAFTA Cymru Award, an RTS and was nominated for a Broadcast Award, a BAFTA and an International Emmy.
Helen co-wrote Time II (BBC Studios/BBC) with creator Jimmy McGovern, which stars Bella Ramsey, Tamara Lawrence and Jodie Whittaker. TX October 23.
Helen’s original six-part domestic thriller The Wives (Gaumont UK/Channel 5) is filming in 2024.
Helen has original projects including pilots in development with Gaumont, Rollem, Wall to Wall and Snowed-In. Her Liberty Chapman novels are optioned to Snowed-In and her Lilly Valentine novels to Studio Crook.
Helen Black is represented by Frances Arnold