Biography Helen Hollick Born in Walthamstow, Hollick worked as a library assistant at a Chingford library for 13 years, during which time she developed a passion for Dark Age history and King Arthur. She wrote her Arthurian trilogy, which was accepted for publication by Heinemann three days before her 40th birthday in 1994. Previously she had published a children's personal safety book, Come and Tell Me, a story she had written for her daughter when she was 3. "I wanted to tell her how to keep safe in a clear and simple manner — with a message that could be easily remembered," Hollick wrote on her web site. "'Always come and tell me before you go anywhere with anyone' fitted nicely." Her story became an official safety book of the British Home Office for use nationwide by police and schools. An updated and revised version of the book has been published by Happy Cat Books.

Hollick lives in Walthamstow with her husband, Ron, who is retired, and adult daughter, Kathy. In a review of King Harold, Cliff Moore wrote in the Dorset Evening Echo, "What is most inspiring about Hollick is that she can produce such a mammoth book from a household where she is the only reader — both her husband and daughter suffering from severe dyslexia."

She is a member of the Society of Authors. As of early 2006, she was involved in the pre-production of the proposed movie 1066 as story consultant and co-script writer. Pirate Code was published by D.A. Diamonds in June 2007.

Bibliography

Pendragon's Banner trilogy

The Kingmaking (Pendragon's Banner Trilogy) (re-printed by DA Revivals 2006)
Pendragon's Banner (Pendragon's Banner Trilogy) re-printed by DA Revivals 2006)
Shadow of the King (Pendragon's Banner Trilogy) (re-printed DA Revivals 2006)

The three books are a re-telling of the King Arthur legend. They look to show Arthur Pendragon as he might have really been.

Books in the trilogy garnered a number of positive reviews and endorsements. Best-selling historical fiction author Sharon Penman called one of the volumes "A wonderful book...breathes new life into an ancient legend". Publishers Weekly said, "Hollick's interpretation is bold, affecting and well worth fighting to defend."[3] Books Magazine called her work ""Uniquely compelling" and "bound to have a resounding and lasting impact on Arthurian fiction."

A reviewer in Pendragon Magazine said of one of the books, "Helen Hollick joins the ranks of Rosemary Sutcliff, Mary Stewart and Marion Bradley with this splendid novel," and Historical Novels Review enthused that one of her books "weaves together fact, legend and inspired imagination to create a world so real we can breathe the smoke of its fires and revel into Romano-British lust for life, love and honour."
Sea Witch Chronicles

Sea Witch: Being the First Voyage of Captain Jesamiah Acorne: v. 1
Pirate Code, The Sea Witch Series (Discovered Authors Diamonsa 2007)

Other published work

Come and Tell Me: Be Sensible and Safe (Talking it Through) (re-printed by Happy Cat Books 2002)
Harold the King (re-printed DA Revivals 2006) ISBN 1-905108-18-4
A Hollow Crown (William Heinemann 2004