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.

Writing Course in Birmingham’ s Jewellery Quarter June 2019

I am working with WriteHere on a seven-week creative writing courses. It takes place on Wednesday evenings between 5 June and 17 July – and will feature expert tuition, one-to-one tutorials, dedicated weekly workshops that focus on students’ novels, and a visit from literary agent Carrie Plitt of Felicity Bryan Associates.

France Writing Course 19-23 September 2019

I will be teaching another writing course for L’atelier des ecrivians in the South of France in 2019 from19-23 September 2019. More details here: https://www.latelierdesecrivains.com

France Writing Course 16-20 May 2019

I will be teaching another writing course for L’atelier des ecrivians in the South of France in 2019 from 16 – 20 May. More details here: https://www.latelierdesecrivains.com

Deeds Not Words – short film ready to watch now

I’m delighted that the screenplay, Deeds Not Words, which I wrote, based on Dr Nicola Gauld’s lovely book about Birmingham’s radical Suffragettes, is now a short film from Ice Productions. It will have its premiere on Friday 6 July at the IET Austin Court in Birmingham.

After that you can watch the film here.

ICCW Summer Show Speech 14 June 2018

I will be giving a speech about Writing and Time at the Institute of Creative and Critical Writing’s Summer Show on 14 June 2018 from 6-8pm. The event is at BCU’s Curzon Building and is free but you need to book via the website.

Tutoring Writers’ Workshop, France – September 2018

I am pleased to be tutoring a Starting to Write course for L’atelier des ecrivains – The Writers’ Workshop, France. This four day creative writing retreat
on September 20-24, 2018, in stunning surroundings, offers a small group of students the chance to begin their journey with creative writing. Register your interest by visiting

https://www.latelierdesecrivains.com/

In conversation with novelist Geoff Beattie at Edgehill University

I’m looking forward to interviewing Prof Geoff Beattie about his new novel, ‘The Body’s Little Secrets’ at Edgehill University on Tuesday 22 May at 6pm. More details and to book here.

Geoff Beattie, Professor of Psychology at Edge Hill University, is an internationally-renowned writer and broadcaster, best known for his detailed analyses of non-verbal communications. He was the on-screen psychologist on 11 series of Big Brother (UK), and has presented a number of shows for the BBC.

Chairing debate: 2018 The Year of Publishing Women?- April 28th 2018

I will be chairing this debate in the Birmingham Literature Festival’s spring programme. Catherine Mayer (writer and co-founder of the Women’s Equality Party) will discuss with Tara Tobler (Fiction Editor at And Other Stories) and Sian Norris (writer, founder and director of the Bristol Women’s Literature Festival) the lack of female voices in UK publishing.

Date: Saturday 28 April 2018, 2.15pm – 3.30pm
Location: The STUDIO, Birmingham REP
Tickets: £8 / £6.40 (concs)

Further details and to book here

Part of Birmingham Literature Festival’s Spring Programme which takes place from 27-29 April 2018.

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.