Helen has lived and worked in France, Spain, Cuba and Mexico, and now lives in Swansea, Wales, with her husband, the author and illustrator Thomas Docherty, and their two daughters. Before becoming an author, Helen taught Spanish and French, and since moving to Wales has been trying her hand at learning Welsh too. Helen is the author of the bestselling and award-winning The Snatchabook, which was illustrated by her husband, Thomas Docherty and has been translated into 18 languages.