Sarah Helm, grew up in North Yorkshire and studied English at Cambridge. She then worked as a journalist for The Sunday Times and The Independent, first focussing on criminal justice, human rights and the Northern Ireland conflict, before being posted abroad as a foreign correspondent, covering the Israel-Palestine conflict and the war in Bosnia. Her first book, A Life in Secrets, is a biography of Vera Atkins, the World War Two intelligence officer for SOE, who sent women agents behind Nazi lines, and hunted for the missing. Her next book, If This is a Woman, is about Ravensbrück the Nazi Concentration camp for Women, told largely through the words of the last survivors.

Her play, Loyalty, a drama about conflicting loyalties set against the backdrop of the Iraq War, was staged at the Hampstead Theatre. She now freelances for several publications and is working on a new book about Gaza. Sarah lives in London with her husband, Jonathan Powell, and their two children.

Events participated in:

In Conversation with Raja Shehadeh, Sarah Helm, and Derek Goldman: Join Sarah Helm as she discusses Raja Shehadeh’s new book on Palestine and the power of narrative with Derek Goldman from Georgetown University. (2022)

Divided Societies: Watch Allan Little as he talks to novelist Elif Shafak about her book How to Stay Sane in the Age of Division and writer Sarah Helm as theyreveal the truth about divided societies, including in Turkey and Gaza. (2021)