Welcome!

…to the website of British author, Helen Cross.

I am the author of novels, stories, radio plays and screenplays. My first novel, My Summer of Love, won a Betty Trask Award and became a BAFTA award winning feature film. Mighty Atom Entertainment are currently working on a film adaptation of my latest novel, Spilt Milk Black Coffee, and I am completing a fourth novel.

I was educated at Goldsmiths College, University of London and am a graduate of the MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, where I currently work, teaching on the new MFA in Creative Writing.

Reading at Festival in Nimes France 6 March 2018

I will be speaking at a British film festival in Nîmes (www.ecransbritanniques.org), France. The Maison des Littératures (http://www.triptyktheatre.fr/ ) is one of the partners for the festival. I will be reading from my books and taking questions about my work on Tuesday 6 March

Lumb Bank Arvon Course 30th July – 4 August 2018

I will be running an Arvon course with Stuart Evers at Lumb Bank in 2018 from 30 July to 4 August. Here’s what it says in the brochure.

Intensive help with the foundations of your fiction. Aimed at those who have already made significant progress with a work of fiction, the course offers in-depth advice, assistance and critique to improve the foundations of your writing. Helping to identify and bolster your strengths, while also pinpointing areas to be worked upon, sessions are tailored to your specific needs. Intense, but always encouraging and positive, this course is designed to help you make the most of your manuscript, both in the short and long term. Participants are encouraged to submit up to 2,000 words of a work-in-progress, to lumbbank@arvon.org by 15 June 2018.

National Writers’ Conference 10 June 2017

I’ll be chairing a panel on writers’ profile at the National Writers’ Conference at Birmingham University on Saturday 10 June. More details and to book here

New short story in February 2017 edition of The Manchester Review

Includes my new short story, Days of the Dead. Available to read here.

Shrewsbury Literature Festival November 2016

I will be running a workshop on Writing for Radio at the Shrewsbury Literature Festival on Sunday 27 November. There are more details here.

Desire Anthology of 100 of Literature’s Sexiest Short Stories – Out Now

DESIRE is an anthology of ‘100 of Literature’s Sexiest Stories’, as chosen by the book’s editor, Mariella Frostrup. My story, PULL, is about the very mucky goings-on at a coastal village fete. You can buy a copy here.

An Open Letter to Bees – BBC Radio 4 Story

You have until the 10 November 2016 to listen to my short story An Open Letter to Bees on BBC Iplayer here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b048nsmz

National Writers’ Conference July 16 2016

I will be speaking at the National Writers’ Conference on July 16 2016 about Writing Residencies and Fellowships. This year the event is held at the Bramhall Building at Birmingham University. You can book here.

This is what they say about the event:

‘The event is chaired by Natasha Carlin. Panellists to include novelist Helen Cross, canal laureate Luke Kennard and Rachel Barnett all lecturers at University of Birmingham

Residencies and fellowships give writers an opportunity to develop their own interests and to work with other writers. Many – most – are paid and also provide a useful way to explore new writing areas. Novelist Helen Cross, poet Luke Kennard and Rachel Barnett -whose writing projects to date include original work, adaptations, translations, theatre in education projects, pieces for young audiences and young performers, and dramaturgy of collaborative devised work – will discuss how these opportunities are set up and run and give advice about working in this way.

Gosh Comics! London 16 May 2016

Carol Adlam and I will be speaking about our forthcoming graphic novel, Ministry of Women, at Gosh Comics! on Monday May 16 2016

7.30- .9.00pm

1 Berwick St

W1F ODR

Hay on Wye Literature Festival – June 2016

Artist Carol Adlam and I will be talking about our forthcoming graphic novel, The Ministry of Women, at the Hay on Wye Literature Festival on Friday 3 June at 11.30am. You can book tickets here.