Lauren du Plessis
folkloric slipstream fiction
I'm a British writer of speculative and literary novels and short stories, often with a tinge of folk or body horror. My short stories have appeared in Litro, Shooter, and Mslexia among others.
Tender, a tale of botanical body horror, is available now from Influx Press in the UK, coming soon to the US and Canada.
Represented by: Abi Fellows at DHH Literary Agency
Say hello by emailing me at: [email protected]
Site background image: Annie Spratt on Unsplash.
Books
Tender
Dark truths are unearthed in South West England through a folkloric, body horror-tinged lens in Lauren du Plessis's haunting debut novel.⁎✺ * ~ ⁎ _ ✺ * ~ *⁎_-✺⁎
Praise for Tender'An obsessive, oppressive, feverish work of folk-horror tangling and twining into body-horror... It’s an odd, spiky and compelling read.'
– Adam Leslie, author of Lost in the Garden‘Du Plessis weaves an intricate garland of folklore, body horror and elegant surrealism into this intriguing and disturbing novel.’
– Lucie McKnight Hardy, author of Water Shall Refuse Them‘A lush, intoxicating debut where secrets are poison and every touch carries the risk of contamination. A story of obsession and transformation, written with the relentless creep of untamed weeds and the bite of a thistle.’
– Kirsty Logan, author of Now She Is Witch⁎~✺ * ~ ⁎ _ ✺ * ~ *⁎When two "bog bodies" are discovered in elaborate floral graves in a Somerset fen, Nell—a successful archaeobotanist with an uncompromising veneer of perfection—seizes the opportunity to excavate their secrets. But the deeper she digs into the fertile, waterlogged earth, the more she uncovers 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 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 with explorations of womanhood against a backdrop of eco-anxiety, Tender burrows into the quiet violence of overcoming and accepting our darkest sides.-UK: Influx Press, out now!
US & Canada: March 30 2027
(Order internationally through Blackwells)
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
Contact
Represented by Abi Fellows at DHH Literary Agency.
Instagram: @laurenduplessis.author
Email: [email protected]
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 works across marketing and narrative design, mostly for games. Tender, her debut novel, was published by Influx Press in 2025.
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 BA in Literature, and has worked across marketing and narrative design, 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, was published by Influx Press in 2025.When not writing, Lauren can be found reading, crocheting, or thrifting clothes that make her feel like a witch.
Praise for Tender
'An obsessive, oppressive, feverish work of folk-horror tangling and twining into body-horror... It’s an odd, spiky and compelling read.'
– Adam Leslie, author of Lost in the Garden‘Du Plessis weaves an intricate garland of folklore, body horror and elegant surrealism into this intriguing and disturbing novel.’
– Lucie McKnight Hardy, author of Water Shall Refuse Them‘A lush, intoxicating debut where secrets are poison and every touch carries the risk of contamination. A story of obsession and transformation, written with the relentless creep of untamed weeds and the bite of a thistle.’
– Kirsty Logan, author of Now She Is Witch
‘Its sense of untamed urges bursting through a civilized, cultivated exterior wonderfully captures our fear of and desire for a return to a wilder existence. Du Plessis handles her characters with conviction, forcing them into ever more uncomfortable confrontations with their inner selves.’
– The Fantasy Hive‘Du Plessis writes in assured, unfussy prose and draws her characters with skill.’
– Buzz‘A feverish and strange narrative that’s as fecund as it is dark, it’s an insightful work of horror.’
– Bookbeard