Anthologies
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Ink Stains | 2011 | Buy |
Collections
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| American Housewife | 2016 | Buy |
| Southern Lady Code | 2019 | Buy |
| Bring Your Baggage and Don’t Pack Light | 2021 | Buy |
| Kiss Me in the Coral Lounge | 2023 | Buy |
Standalone Novels
| Title | Published | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Eating The Cheshire Cat | 2000 | Buy |
| What Curiosity Kills | 2010 | Buy |
Helen Ellis is an Alabama-born, New York-based author whose writing has a distinct Southern voice and a talent for dark comedy. She published her first novel, Eating The Cheshire Cat, in 2000, then went quiet for more than a decade before returning with What Curiosity Kills (2010), a young adult novel.
Her breakout came with American Housewife (2016), a collection of short stories about women, domestic life, and the strangeness lurking beneath polished surfaces. The book was a bestseller and earned comparisons to Shirley Jackson for its blend of humor and menace. She followed it with Southern Lady Code (2019), a collection of personal essays, and continued with Bring Your Baggage and Don’t Pack Light (2021) and Kiss Me in the Coral Lounge (2023).
Ellis writes with a dry, precise style that makes even the darkest subject matter feel funny. Her collections have made her one of the more distinctive voices in contemporary American short fiction.