LUCY ELIZABETH ALLAN is a Scottish writer and illustrator, currently studying towards a DFA in creative writing at the University of Glasgow, where she is working on her first full-length novel. Their published work can be found in Green Ink Poetry, Cobra Milk, Harpy Hybrid Review, and Fairy Piece, among others.
Lucy’s debut novella, SKIN GROWS OVER was published by Ghost Orchid Press in 2022.
WHAT INSPIRED SKIN GROWS OVER?
LUCY: There are two centuries-old bog bodies on display to the public in the National Museum of Ireland, and I used to go and visit them when I lived in Dublin in my early twenties. They are surreal and beautiful in a way that’s honestly difficult to describe; they manage to be so human and inhuman at the same time. No matter how long I spent looking at them, I could never quite make myself believe that they ever used to be people.
Around this time in my life, I experienced a profound personal loss that I felt completely unequipped to deal with. These ancient, dehumanised bodies seemed to exist in stark contrast to the very real, very tangible bereavement that I had experienced. This made me think about personhood and the body, and how we are remembered after we die.
I wrote the first draft of the story that would become Skin’s Grown Over as my Master’s dissertation at Trinity College, Dublin.
Find Lucy on Twitter as @LEAllansGhost.