Born in the rural Sierra Nevada foothills of Northern California’s Gold Country on Nisenan land, Lauren Lee Smith is a novelist and screenwriter whose works confront the darker, more taboo elements of the feminine experience. A mother of three young children, her work often explores maternal mental health, trauma, male brutality and the historical intersections of diverse cultures through the lens of feminist horror.

Her debut feminist historical horror western ‘The Night Pool’ will be published in Fall 2026 with Blackstone Publishing. She is represented by Chad Luibl of Janklow & Nesbit and Matt Berenson for TV/Film.

NEWS

~ ‘Selkie’s Stew’ selected for the 2025 Women in Horror Anthology ‘Pretend you Don’t See Her’ via Kandisha Press

~ ‘Playroom Ghost’ published in American University’s FOLIO LITERARY JOURNAL, first all-horror issue, Spring 2023

~ ‘Selkie’s Stew’ short-listed for the Uncharted Magazine Thrilling Short Story Award, May 2023, Judge Gabino Iglesias

~ ‘Selkie’s Stew’ long listed for the Fractured Lit Ghost, Fable, & Fairytales Prize, Spring 2024, Judge Aimee Bender