Helen Vivienne Fletcher is a children’s and young adult author, performer, storyteller and award-winning playwright. She has written an impressive collection of books for everyone from preschoolers to adult readers. Her work has been both traditionally and independently published.

Helen’s plays have won and been shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Wellington Theatre Awards Outstanding New Playwright Award, Playmarket’s Plays for the Young Award, and the Adam New NZ Play Award. She has a focus on creating meaningful roles for disabled actors, and tells stories that are important to her, across many genres. 

When not writing, Helen teaches creative writing classes, and her alter-ego, Fairy Helen, runs Storytimes at The Children’s Bookshop. She occasionally takes to the stage as an actor too.

Tackling heavy subjects with a healthy dose of humour, Helen describes her style as “funny tragedy” and invites you to decide for yourself whether you want to laugh or cry.

Working with me

My assistance dog has recently retired and now lives with me as a pet. I am currently on the waiting list for a second service dog. When working with me, if it’s possible for my retired assistance dog to come with me, this makes things a lot easier for me, especially in this transition period while I don’t have a working dog. It’s not a deal breaker if this isn’t possible though, and I’m happy to discuss options.