Lauren du Plessis
Folkloric, speculative, weird fiction
Lauren's short stories have appeared in Litro and Mslexia among others. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Literature at Oxford Brookes University, and has worked across marketing and narrative writing, mostly for games.Her fiction is often concerned with eerie coming-of-age journeys, explored through her characters’ mental health, relationships, and especially through strange, transforming bodies.
Represented by: Abi Fellows at DHH Literary Agency
Site background image: Annie Spratt on Unsplash.
Books
Tender
My debut novel is coming September 2025 from Influx PressTwenty-eight-year-old Nell has curated a perfect museum of the self: early accolades in her career as an archaeobotanist, a pastel Instagram filled with flowers, and a consistent manicure routine to give a veneer of control. But there has always been a part of her that doesn’t fit the mask of perfection she wears.When two ‘bog bodies’ are discovered in elaborate floral graves in a Somerset fen, Nell gets the opportunity of a lifetime to excavate and uncover their secrets. But the deeper she digs into the fertile, waterlogged mud, the more she uncovers repressed memories of her unsettled childhood and strained relationship with her sister… and the more her body manifests her own wildness in ways she can’t ignore.Under the pressure of a blazing summer, Nell whirlwinds into a heated but toxic romance, intense friendships, and the brutal process of reconciling her past and her future before the weight of it all buries her, too.Blending folkloric horror and an exploration of womanhood, against a background of eco-anxiety, Tender beautifully depicts the quiet violence of overcoming and accepting our darkest sides.
Current works in progressBook ? water, programming, motherhood
Book ? mountains, space, art, grief
And plenty of short stories!
Short Fiction
A girl builds a new mother in the woods. A boy contemplates his unsettling hobby with the help of a kitten and an elderly neighbour. A museum employee flirts with the void.Short, sharp yet tender tales with moments of body horror and explorations of mental health (cw: graphic descriptions, death, self-harm). The following stories are available to read online for free.
Other published short fiction includes:
- 'Entropy' in Shooter Literary Magazine issue 14
- 'All That We Made' in Mslexia issue 94
Press
Short bio
Lauren du Plessis is a British writer of speculative, folkloric, and weird fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Litro and Mslexia among others. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Literature at Oxford Brookes University, and has worked across marketing and narrative writing, mostly for games. Tender, her debut novel, is forthcoming from Influx Press.
Long bio
Lauren du Plessis is a British writer of speculative, folkloric, and weird fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Litro, Mslexia, Shooter, and more. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Literature at Oxford Brookes University, and has worked across marketing and narrative writing, mostly in the gaming industry.Her fiction is often concerned with eerie coming-of-age journeys, explored through her characters’ mental health, relationships, and especially through strange, transforming bodies. Tender, her debut novel, is forthcoming from Influx Press.When not writing, Lauren can be found reading, crocheting, or thrifting clothes that make her feel like a witch.
Contact
Represented by Abi Fellows at DHH Literary Agency.
Instagram: @laurenduplessis.author