Mercedes Helnwein is an artist and writer.
Born in Vienna, Austria, she grew up and went to school in Germany, the UK, Ireland and the US. She did not go to college and instead started selling drawings after moving to Los Angeles in 2000.
She began writing at age ten, when a teacher gave her an assignment to write a short story. Her first story was called The Celery Stick Who Became President.
Her debut YA novel Slingshot is being published by Wednesday Books, in April 2021.
Mercedes lives and works in Los Angeles and Ireland.