Helen Grant (born 1964 in
Westminster, London) is an English author of novels for young adults, now based in Crieff, Scotland. She is a 2011 recipient of the
Alex Awards
The Alex Awards annually recognize "ten books written for adults that have special appeal to young adults ages 12 through 18". Essentially, the award is a listing by the American Library Association parallel to its annual Best Books for Young A ...
.
Biography
She was educated at
Dr Challoner's High School
, established = 1962
, closed =
, type = Academy Grammar School
, religion =
, president =
, head_label = Headteacher
, head = Alan Roe
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, r_head =
, chair_label =
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and went on to read classics at
St Hugh's College, Oxford
St Hugh's College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford. It is located on a site on St Margaret's Road, to the north of the city centre. It was founded in 1886 by Elizabeth Wordsworth as a women's college, and accepte ...
.
Her first novel, ''The Vanishing of Katharina Linden'', was published by
Penguin Books in April 2009. It was shortlisted for the Booktrust Teenage Prize
and the CILIP Carnegie Medal.
Laura Wilson, writing for ''
The Guardian'', called it "an eerily subtle literary page-turner" that doesn't contain anything "remotely winsome or mawkish".
''
The Independents Barry Forshaw praised the books ability to shift perceptions from the teenager protagonist's pursuit of mystical answers to adult's skepticism.
Grant states that the book was inspired by the legends of the German town in which she spent time while growing up.
The book has also been published in Germany as ''Die Mädchen des Todes'', and has been published in Spain, Holland and the US.
Her second novel, ''The Glass Demon'', published by Penguin in May 2010,
combines a story of dysfunctional family with horror and history.
Lisa O'Kelly of The Observer called it an "atmospheric" novel with a "chilling mood" that was reminiscent of the stories of the
Brothers Grimm.
In addition to her novels for young adults, she is a regular contributor to the ''M.R. James Ghosts & Scholars Newsletter''. Her short fiction and non fiction have been published in ''Supernatural Tales'', ''All Hallows'' and by the Ash Tree Press. She has also provided a new translation of
E.T.A. Hoffmann
Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (born Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann; 24 January 1776 – 25 June 1822) was a German Romantic author of fantasy and Gothic horror, a jurist, composer, music critic and artist. Penrith Goff, "E.T.A. Hoffmann" in E ...
's ''
Das Öde Haus'' in ''The Sandman & Other Night Pieces'' (
Tartarus Press). Her book of uncanny short stories, ''The Sea Change & Other Stories'', was published by
Swan River Press
Swan River Press is an independent Irish publishing company dedicated to gothic, supernatural, and fantastic literature. It was founded in Rathmines, Dublin in October 2003 by Brian J. Showers. Swan River publishes contemporary fiction from around ...
in 2013.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Helen
1964 births
Living people
People from Westminster
Alumni of St Hugh's College, Oxford
21st-century English novelists
People educated at Dr Challoner's High School