Helena Nelson was born in Cheshire. She is a poet and also a teacher at The Adam Smith College Fife. She edits a magazine called Sphinx, which is dedicated to the promotion of chapbook poetry and independent poetry presses. She also publishes other people’s poetry as editor of HappenStance Press.

Her first pamphlet collection Mr and Mrs Philpott on Holiday at Auchterawe & Other Poems was published by Kettillonia in 2001. Her first book of poems (Starlight on Water) was published by Rialto Press in 2003 and was joint winner of the Jerwood Aldeburgh Prize in 2003. Since then she has published Unsuitable Poems (a pamphlet), 2005.

She also reviews for a wide range of poetry magazines, including Ambit, The Dark Horse, Poetry Review, Mslexia, Magma and The London Magazine.

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Related links

› Read 'Flowers' by Helena Nelson in Best Scottish Poems 2004

› Happenstance Press

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Books I love

An old favourite
'Poetry by Ruth Pitter, especially ‘The Lost Tribe’, ‘The Ermine’ and ‘If You Came’. Oh, and ‘The Heart’s Desire is Full of Sleep’.'

A new favourite
'The Book of Shadows by Don Paterson and Understanding Comics by Scott McLoud (always read at least two books at the same time).'

A current interest
'The relationship between comedy and pathos: why sad things are often nearly funny, and funny things often nearly sad.'

Helena Nelson, September 2006

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