Helena Nelson was born in Cheshire, and now lives in Fife. She is founder editor of HappenStance Press which specialises in poetry pamphlets. Her first collection, Starlight on Water (Rialto Press, 2003) was a joint winner of the Jerwood Aldeburgh Prize. 

Her first pamphlet collection Mr and Mrs Philpott on Holiday at Auchterawe & Other Poems was published by Kettillonia in 2001. Unsuitable Poems (a pamphlet), was published in 2005, and her second book, Plot and Counter-Plot was published by Shoestring Press in 2010. She also reviews for a wide range of poetry magazines, including Ambit, The Dark Horse, Poetry Review, Mslexia, Magma and The London Magazine.