Helen Black

Helen Black is a British screenwriter and novelist, best known for her work on the BBC drama Time and the film Life and Death in the Warehouse.

Career Black grew up in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. She studied Law at Hull University and worked as a solicitor for many years, with a specialty in childcare. Her experiences would inspire her to write a series of legal thriller novels, centering on lawyer Lily Valentine, beginning with Damaged Goods (2005). In 2017, Black won the Kudos North Award, for her television script Galaxy. This success led to her acquiring an agent and then writing on series such as Clink, Death in Paradise and Grantchester.

In 2022, BBC Three aired Black's film Life and Death in the Warehouse, about a pair of women working exploitative conditions in a distribution centre. Black had met Aysha Rafaele and Marco Crivellari at BBC Studios, at first developing a legal drama series. Subsequently, she was asked to work on a factual drama with director Joe Bullman, drawing from his research into the lives and mistreatment of British warehouse employees. The film was nominated at the 2022 BAFTA Cymru Awards for Television Drama.

Black co-wrote the second series of Time with Jimmy McGovern, set in a women's prison. On Nov 6, 2023, it was announced that Black would adapt her 'Lily Valentine' books for television. On Nov 27, 2023, it was announced that Black would write the mystery-thriller The Wives for Channel 5.

Filmography Year Title Notes Broadcaster 2019 Clink 1 episode5Star 2021 Death in Paradise 1 episodeBBC One 2022 Life and Death in the Warehouse TV MovieBBC Three 2023 Grantchester 1 episodeITV 2023 Time 3 episodesBBC One 2024 The Wives Creator, 4 episodes Channel 5 2024 Joan 1 episodeITV TBA Lilly Valentine Creator TBA

Novels Series Year Title Lilly Valentine 2008 Damaged Goods 2008 Place of Safety 2009 Dishonour 2011 Blood Rush 2013 Dark Spaces 2015 Friendless Lane – 2012 Twenty Twelve Liberty Chapman 2017 Taking Liberties 2018 Bang to Rights 2019 Playing Dirty 2020 Hard as Nails