These Mortal Bodies

‘It’s Saltburn meets Mean Girls meets The Craft – prepare to be beguiled’ EMMA VAN STRAATEN, author of Creep

‘A nuanced tale of friendships, with a satisfying hint of darkness’ HEATHER DARWENT, author of The Things We Do To Our Friends 

Ivy wasn’t born into their world. But she’ll do anything to belong. 

Leaving behind her childhood in coastal Scotland, Ivy Graveson arrives at an all-girls college at a prestigious university and throws herself into the deep end of life on campus.

Though her fellow students all seem to come from money and to have known each other their whole lives, outsider Ivy is determined to belong. She embraces the world of secret societies, and as she discovers the legacy of her college, the parallels between its past and her present become striking. Because however hard she tries to ignore it, Ivy has always felt drawn to – and terrified of – the bodies of water that surround her.

In just one life-changing year in these hallowed halls, Ivy will have to decide how much sisterhood means to her and how far she’ll go to become the person she was destined to be.

A richly atmospheric campus novel, perfect for fans of The Secret History and dark academia, These Mortal Bodies is an intoxicating story of obsession, infatuation and toxic friendship in the world of the elites, where rules are made to be broken.

Praise for These Mortal Bodies: 

‘Utterly stunning. Wilson writes beautifully and with clarity, shining a torch on timeless issues’ T. L. HUCHU, author of The Library of the Dead 

‘Builds tension and atmosphere with a quiet creepiness as it hurtles towards a shocking conclusion. It’s refreshing to have read about a protagonist with neurodivergence where it’s portrayed without cliché and with bold authenticity’ CHRIS BRIDGES, author of Sick to Death  
‘A delicious coming of age story with a dark academia twist … Gripping and beautifully told, Elspeth Wilson has breathed life into her characters that will linger long after the final page’ LAURA ELLIOTT, author of Awakened

Author Biography

Elspeth Wilson is a Scottish writer and poet. These Mortal Bodies is her debut novel. Her poetry pamphlet Too Hot to Sleep was published in 2023 and shortlisted for the Saltire Society’s Scottish Poetry Book of the Year Award. Elspeth’s work has been shortlisted for Penguin’s WriteNow scheme and she curates a newsletter where she interviews other neurodivergent writers about their work. 

When she’s not writing, she can usually be found in or near the sea.