THE HEATH BOOKSHOP LITERATURE AND MUSIC FESTIVAL –

Helen O’Hara will be in conversation with Pete Paphides talking about her memoir What’s She Like.

Helen O’Hara decided she was going to be a violinist at the age of nine. Her violin was her badge of honour. She was brought up on a mix of classical and pop music, but it was pop that ruled her heart. A prodigious talent, she rose through the ranks in youth orchestras, but at seventeen she rebelled, left school and joined a progressive rock band. At twenty-one, she was back in college studying classical violin, where she was headhunted by Dexys Midnight Runners. Declining an offer from the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, she joined Dexys instead. Weeks later Come On Eileen was number one in the UK charts.

What’s She Like provides a vivid account of the euphoric experience of recording and touring the album Too-Rye-Ay, and the tumultuous story of the making of Dexys’ masterpiece album, Don’t Stand Me Down. After Dexys disbanded in 1986, Helen started a long working relationship with Tanita Tikaram and recorded two solo instrumental albums, featuring acclaimed pianist Nicky Hopkins, before taking a break from music to raise her family. The break extended for 23 years. Once her two sons had grown, driven by forces almost beyond her control, she dusted down her violin and began the hard journey to once again make music the centre of her life, honouring the commitment she had made to herself aged nine.

Here, in her own words, she finally answers the question posed in the lead song on Don’t Stand Me Down: this is what she’s like.

Helen O’Hara is a violinist known for her work with Dexys Midnight Runners, playing on Come On Eileen and the album Too-Rye-Ay. Helen also played on, co-wrote and co-produced Dexys critically acclaimed album Don’t Stand Me Down. After Dexys disbanded in 1986, Helen started a long working relationship with Tanita Tikaram having played on her hit song Good Tradition from her album Ancient Heart. Helen recorded two solo instrumental albums before taking a break from music in 1991 to raise her family. After 23 years Helen returned to music. She currently plays with Tanita Tikaram and Tim Burgess. 

Pete Paphides is a is a life-long record collector, music journalist, broadcaster and author, whose work has been published in The Times, Radio Times, Uncut, Q, Mojo and The Guardian. He has recently also worked on projects by artists such as ABBA, Paul McCartney and Paul Weller – and runs an acclaimed record label Needle Mythology. Published in 2020, his book Broken Greek won the RSL Christopher Bland Prize and the Penderyn Book Prize. He has made several documentaries for BBC Radio 4 also hosts a fortnightly music show for Soho Radio. Pete also once persuaded The Bee Gees to sing his outgoing answerphone message.

This event will be BSL interpreted.

This event is part of The Heath Bookshop Literature & Music Festival and is supported by National Lottery Grants Funding through Arts Council England.

Tickets for this event will be released in January 2026.