Helen Simonson was born in England and spent her teenage years in a small village in East Sussex. A dual UK/USA citizen, she is a graduate of the London School of Economics with an MFA from Stony Brook Southampton. Helen is married with two sons and lives in Brooklyn NY. Her debut novel, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, was a NY Times bestseller, sold over a million copies and was published in twenty one countries. Her second novel The Summer before The War was also a NY Times and international bestseller. Her newest novel is The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club.
Helen Simonson was born in England and spent her teenage years in a small village in East Sussex. A dual UK/USA citizen, she is a graduate of the London School of Economics with an MFA from Stony Brook Southampton. Helen is married with two sons and lives in Brooklyn NY. Her debut novel, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, was a NY Times bestseller, sold over a million copies and was published in twenty one countries. Her second novel The Summer before The War was also a NY Times and international bestseller. Her newest novel is The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club.
Q&A Session with 2026 Dublin Literary Award shortlisted author Brigitte Giraud, author of Live Fast, exploring the inspirations behind her novel.
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