About

Helena Smith

I am a freelance writer, photographer, editor and gardener based in London. My topics are eco travel and community. Key skills are writing, photography, initiating projects, project management, editing and interviewing.

My schooling was in Stirling, Scotland and Malawi in central Africa, and I went on to study African and Caribbean literature at the University of Kent and photography at Central Saint Martins.

I am a winner of Vogue's annual writing contest, and the Independent on Sunday travel writing competition. I worked on the staff at Rough Guides for eight years, becoming a managing editor, and went freelance to focus on my own writing and photography.

Since then I've travelled the world for Rough Guides, Lonely Planet, Bradt and other publishers, writing about hikes, camping, independent travel and country escapes. I produced and published the first guide to Hackney with a print run in the tens of thousands, initiated a successful community food blog, Eat Hackney, and created a fundraising cookbook based on the blog.

I am a professional photographer: I worked for three consecutive years at the Edinburgh Film Festival, becoming their senior photographer. Another specialism is portraits of people at work. I also photograph climate activists, with a personal project to take portraits of arrestees.

During lockdown I co-founded Wilder, a social enterprise with a mission to plant for nature in the city. Clients include Tate Modern, Southwark Cathedral and the Jerwood Space.

I am available for commissions as a writer, photographer and gardener. Read my CV here.