Science  Write  Now

Welcome back to the Science Write Now podcast!

This week we chat with author and psychologist Lauren Keegan about her latest novel, The Woman in the Seal Skin and dive into the fascinating world of Selkies, mythology, motherhood, grief, violence and the biological impulses that bind us to the natural world.

A timeless tale, The Woman in the Seal Skin is set on the Orkney Islands in the late 1600s and follows the story of Malie, a motherless child who has grown up in a cloistered island community and is about to become a mother herself. Our chat today ventures to the depths of how folktales act as a powerful allegory for women’s lives, societal expectations and the generational and systemic patterns of oppression; a theme that is resoundingly relevant today. We also discuss the environmental aspects of the book as well as Lauren’s research process and how her background in perinatal psychology informs her writing practice.

Lauren Keegan is a perinatal psychologist, author and host of the podcast, Trust the Process. Her debut historical fiction novel, All The Bees In The Hollows (Affirm Press) was named Best Debut Fiction in the 2025 Indie Book Awards and longlisted for the ARA Historical Novel Prize. Her second novel The Woman in the Seal Skin is out now.

Lauren lives with her husband and two daughters on Dharawal and Gundungarra Country (New South Wales). Check out her website, laurenkeeganwriter.com where you can find her books, listen to her podcast, Trust the Process – where psychology meets writing – and subscribe to her monthly newsletter on Substack!

As always, a full list of works discussed, links and resources are available in the Show Notes (below) and on your podcast platform of choice, and on the SWN website under ‘Listen’.

Enjoy this week’s episode!

SHOW NOTES:

Dr Lauren Keegan – Psychologist and author of The Woman in the Seal Skin (Affirm Press 2026), and; All The Bees In The Hollows (Affirm Press 2024). To find out more, visit Lauren’s website.

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenkeeganwriter/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurenkeeganwriter/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenkeeganwriter/

• Publisher: https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/Lauren-Keegan

• Podcast: https://www.laurenkeeganwriter.com/podcast

• Events: https://www.laurenkeeganwriter.com/author-events

Selected articles and media

Listen:

• Arianne James (author of Daughters of the Tide) and Lauren Keegan on The Secrets of Selkies

• Plus, a recent episode of Totally Lit with host and author Ky Garvey interviewing Lauren.

• Dive into Lauren’s podcast, Trust the Process: https://www.laurenkeeganwriter.com/podcast

Watch: Book Chat with Lauren Keegan on Better Reading Podcast (April 2026)

Read: “How Lauren Keegan turned selkie myths into a powerful story about motherhood”.

This episode of the SWN Podcast was hosted, edited and produced by Bianca Millroy.

SWN acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the unceded lands on which we live, work and create, Jagerra and Turrbal Country, and pay respects to elders past and present, remembering that First Nations people are our first artists, storytellers and scientists.