Helen Durham

Helen Durham was an American writer whose surviving books place her in the world of organized social entertainment in the 1920s. Library records identify her as living from 1893 to 1932, and sources such as The Online Books Page and Project Gutenberg credit her with works including Ten Recreational Parties and Ten Timely Dances.

Ten Recreational Parties is described in its text as a revised and expanded version of an earlier book, Six Recreational Parties. The book offers themed programs, games, short dramatic pieces, and ideas for larger gatherings, suggesting that Durham wrote for teachers, church groups, clubs, and other community organizers looking for ready-to-use material.

Very little biographical information beyond her dates and publications was readily confirmed in reliable online sources during this search. Even so, her work gives a clear sense of purpose: she wrote practical, upbeat manuals designed to make social occasions more creative, welcoming, and easy to stage.