Helen Mason
Encyclopedia
Helen Mason Young was a journalist
and children's author.
She gave up a successful journalistic career with the Daily Express
after she married the political journalist Hugo Young
and decided to devote her life to her four children.
As they grew older, she grew back into work. She completed a number of successful children's books under her married name, Helen Young, including Wide Awake Jake, A Throne for Sesame and What Difference Does it Make, Danny? whose target age-groups grew along with her own children.
Eventually she resumed her journalism as a freelance columnist on a number of newspapers, notably The Observer
and The Sunday Times
. As a journalist she was usually credited under her maiden name Helen Mason, and occasionally other pseudonyms to protect her children from the embarrassment of being identified by their friends with some of her more personal observations about them.
As well as funny first-person columns, she often tackled serious issues including anorexia and was an active, vociferous campaigner on issues she felt strongly about. She was also involved in charities, notably the British Epilepsy Association (now known as Epilepsy Action
) which she first contacted for support after her son's night-time and very frightening fits were diagnosed.
A lifelong believer in the power of positive thought, the possibility of her enthusiastic smoking habit harming her was never something she took seriously.
She finally gave up smoking after discovering she was suffering from lung cancer
, which eventually claimed her life in October 1989, aged 51.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and children's author.
She gave up a successful journalistic career with the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
after she married the political journalist Hugo Young
Hugo Young
Hugo John Smelter Young was a British journalist and columnist and senior political commentator at The Guardian.-Early life and education:...
and decided to devote her life to her four children.
As they grew older, she grew back into work. She completed a number of successful children's books under her married name, Helen Young, including Wide Awake Jake, A Throne for Sesame and What Difference Does it Make, Danny? whose target age-groups grew along with her own children.
Eventually she resumed her journalism as a freelance columnist on a number of newspapers, notably The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
and The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
. As a journalist she was usually credited under her maiden name Helen Mason, and occasionally other pseudonyms to protect her children from the embarrassment of being identified by their friends with some of her more personal observations about them.
As well as funny first-person columns, she often tackled serious issues including anorexia and was an active, vociferous campaigner on issues she felt strongly about. She was also involved in charities, notably the British Epilepsy Association (now known as Epilepsy Action
Epilepsy Action
Epilepsy Action is a UK based charity providing information, advice and support for people with epilepsy.The organisation was founded in 1950 as the British Epilepsy Association and adopted Epilepsy Action as its working name in 2002....
) which she first contacted for support after her son's night-time and very frightening fits were diagnosed.
A lifelong believer in the power of positive thought, the possibility of her enthusiastic smoking habit harming her was never something she took seriously.
She finally gave up smoking after discovering she was suffering from lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
, which eventually claimed her life in October 1989, aged 51.