Helen Brown is most loved for chronicling the foibles and epiphanies of every day life in her newspaper columns. Each week, in just a few pithy paragraphs,  she deftly delivers anecdotes and opinions  that are often poignant, always amusing. Her wit is lively - kind rather than cutting  - and unlike many columnists who have alarming off-days which leave the faithful disenchanted, Helen engages you consistently. A mother of four - one still a teenager in the house - and with a husband who travels a lot for business, she is the first to say that she doesn't live in an ivory tower. Her feet are firmly on the ground but her voice is always compassionate, touching sensitive chords that draw you back for more. My mother, who responds in the same way as I do to Helen's sensibilities, started competing with me to see which one of us could read the newspaper first on the day the column appears. And now that my career has taken me to Australia, she keeps me in the loop by clipping Helen's columns and mailing them to me.

It is always a thrill to meet literary heroines and happily, Helen and I were destined to come face to face. The occasion was shortly after we had started an email exchange. In addition to her newspaper pieces, Helen has a magazine column in Next, a monthly lifestyle publication for New Zealand women.  Being a mannered, thoughtful contributor, she felt it was the done thing to meet me, the new editor at the time.  I knew what she looked like of course as her columns often run with her photograph. In print she appears handsome and friendly. In real life she is a striking red-head, radiating warmth and charm and she arrived in my office bearing a generous bouquet as a gift. I was a little overwhelmed, the flowers were so stunning and unexpected but Helen acted as though they were my due, checking the stems to ensure they were still encased in water. She wanted the blooms to last so they'd give as much pleasure as possible. They did and it has been the start of a beautiful friendship.
Liz Parker
Former editor Next  (New Zealand)
Editor Notebook: (Australia)

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