Biography
The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh is Helen’s first novel. She lives just outside Sheffield and has worked as an actress for many years. The idea for this story came from her son, Lenny, who has a stammer: she wanted to write the book that he would love to read, starring a child like him. She hopes that children will be able to relate to feeling unheard, different from the rest and unable to find their voice.
Shortlisted Books by Helen Rutter
The Boy Who Made Everyone Laugh
Very funny, very touching, very truthful - a total delight to read
Jacqueline Wilson, Author
A laugh-out-loud, against-all-odds triumph of a story: the funniest debut of 2021
Billy Plimpton is an eleven-year-old boy with a big dream. He wants to be a stand-up comedian when he grows up: delivering pinpoint punch-lines and having audiences hang on his every hilarious word. A tough career for anyone, but surely impossible for Billy, who has a stammer. How will he find his voice, if his voice won't let him speak?
This book was shortlisted in: 2022