Helen Lowe

Helen Lowe was born in Wellington, New Zealand, but has also lived in Singapore and Sweden. She attended the Waikato Diocesan School in Hamilton and subsequently obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English and Geography from the University of Waikato. In 1982, Helen was awarded the KM Bell Memorial Prize (Geography). She continued her education at the University of Stockholm and in 1984 earned a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Science. Helen has worked professionally as a planner, environmental manager and writer.

Helen trained and taught in the martial art aikido for 15 years, including as an instructor for the University of Otago Aikido Club; during that time, she also taught a course in Self Defence for Women at the Dunedin College of Education. Helen currently undertakes books and writer interviews for Women on Air, Plains 96.9 FM in Christchurch and comperes public events, most recently an evening with Orange and Whitbread prize-winning novelist, Andrea Levy.

Selected bibliography:

• Thornspell (Knopf USA 2008)
• The Heir of Night [The Wall of Night Series, Book One] (HarperCollins USA 2010 / Hachette Australia/New Zealand 2010 / Little, Brown & Co UK 2011)

Awards:

• NZ Society of Authors' Mentorship Award 2005 (Mentor: Owen Marshall).
• Sir Julius Vogel Award 2009 for Best Novel: Young Adult for Thornspell.
• Sir Julius Vogel Award 2009 for Best New Talent.
• Storylines Notable Book Junior Fiction 2009 for Thornspell.

Websites:

• Helen Lowe
• Thornspell
• Helen Lowe blog