Louie Stowell
@louiestowell.bsky.social
Writer/illustrator of the LOKI: A Bad God's Guide books, Writer of Otherland & The Dragon in the Library. https://louiestowell.com. No terfs. Many fluctuating fandoms incluing BtVS + Doctor Who. This feed isn't for kids.
Pinned
Louie Stowell
@louiestowell.bsky.social
· Mar 30
The Louie Stowell Newsletter | Substack
News, books and nonsense. Click to read The Louie Stowell Newsletter, a Substack publication.
louiestowell.substack.com
I have a newsletter! If you'd like to keep up to date on my books, events, news, book-themed activities for kids and occasional Doctor Who and other fandom thoughts, sign up here! louiestowell.substack.com #KidLitUK
Are we becoming a nation of lurkers? (Or an international collective of lurkers?)
I can believe it. As far as I can tell, most of my friends aren't actually posting on social networks much any more - I'm certainly not - so all there is to see is 'content' (urgh) from strangers. We've all just turned into lurkers being fed stuff from the algorithm and influencers.
February 12, 2026 at 9:28 AM
Are we becoming a nation of lurkers? (Or an international collective of lurkers?)
Reposted by Louie Stowell
Out 26/03 for 7+ readers, Will Shakespeare Mysteries: The Stinky Stolen Toenails by Kaz Penney, illustrated by Sammy Elgie, looks like a whole heap of fun. Huge thanks doth go to Jade @andersenpress.bsky.social
#KidlitUK #UKKidlit
#KidlitUK #UKKidlit
February 11, 2026 at 1:02 PM
Out 26/03 for 7+ readers, Will Shakespeare Mysteries: The Stinky Stolen Toenails by Kaz Penney, illustrated by Sammy Elgie, looks like a whole heap of fun. Huge thanks doth go to Jade @andersenpress.bsky.social
#KidlitUK #UKKidlit
#KidlitUK #UKKidlit
Reposted by Louie Stowell
Save the date! 🏙️✨
The #IBCawards2026 is streaming LIVE from London on 25 February. The countdown starts now... ⏰
The #IBCawards2026 is streaming LIVE from London on 25 February. The countdown starts now... ⏰
February 11, 2026 at 8:45 PM
Reposted by Louie Stowell
I was watching the documentary “The Librarians” that premiered at Sundance and which PBS shared publicly. It’s about US librarians on the frontlines against the book-banning movement in the US and it was really something to see it all documented in the film.
youtu.be/ywQOCY-qDzE?...
youtu.be/ywQOCY-qDzE?...
Banned Books and the Librarians Caught in the Political Battle | Full Documentary | Independent Lens
YouTube video by PBS
youtu.be
February 12, 2026 at 7:53 AM
I was watching the documentary “The Librarians” that premiered at Sundance and which PBS shared publicly. It’s about US librarians on the frontlines against the book-banning movement in the US and it was really something to see it all documented in the film.
youtu.be/ywQOCY-qDzE?...
youtu.be/ywQOCY-qDzE?...
Thinking about the times I got called a groomer for writing a book that had trans people in it. Fun times in the uk as well as the us. And I'm not even a trans author, so much worse for them.
A lot of book ban challenges in the UK are around gender and sexuality. School librarians noticed it wasn’t systematic but more about books that had received media attention
#ipgsc
#ipgsc
February 12, 2026 at 7:30 AM
Thinking about the times I got called a groomer for writing a book that had trans people in it. Fun times in the uk as well as the us. And I'm not even a trans author, so much worse for them.
The thing I miss most about twitter is people live tweeting conferences so you get to follow along if you're not there. Plus the sarcastic commentary in the dms.
February 12, 2026 at 7:07 AM
The thing I miss most about twitter is people live tweeting conferences so you get to follow along if you're not there. Plus the sarcastic commentary in the dms.
This is from a publishing conference: I find this fascinating. I'm not keen on algortithmic social media and am constantly fighting to see stuff from the people I actually know vs random uncurated strangers (ie not boosts from ppl I know). My most old man yell at cloud attitude is SHOW ME MY FRIENDS
Nowadays, most people are going to social platforms to consume content coming from outside their friends network
#ipgsc
#ipgsc
February 12, 2026 at 7:06 AM
This is from a publishing conference: I find this fascinating. I'm not keen on algortithmic social media and am constantly fighting to see stuff from the people I actually know vs random uncurated strangers (ie not boosts from ppl I know). My most old man yell at cloud attitude is SHOW ME MY FRIENDS
I've seen this happen and it's wonderful when it does - when a publisher is truly excited about a book, and united in their enthusiasm, it really can move the dial. #ipgsc
Top tips from our panel for how publishers can work with booksellers - including by sharing passion for books. Bea Carvalho of Waterstones: ‘Bookselling is all about word of mouth… pass on that enthusiasm to us so we can pass it on to our booksellers and they can pass it on to our customers’ #ipgsc
February 12, 2026 at 6:55 AM
I've seen this happen and it's wonderful when it does - when a publisher is truly excited about a book, and united in their enthusiasm, it really can move the dial. #ipgsc
Reposted by Louie Stowell
It’s not just librarians facing these challenges, it’s also booksellers and retailers, archives and museums, and academic researchers
#ipgsc
#ipgsc
February 11, 2026 at 3:25 PM
It’s not just librarians facing these challenges, it’s also booksellers and retailers, archives and museums, and academic researchers
#ipgsc
#ipgsc
Reposted by Louie Stowell
Not to mention the impact on young people:
* Pushing them to go into unregulated spaces if they want to read banned books
* Loss of library safe space to explore their identity (particularly around gender and sexuality)
* Pushing them to go into unregulated spaces if they want to read banned books
* Loss of library safe space to explore their identity (particularly around gender and sexuality)
February 11, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Not to mention the impact on young people:
* Pushing them to go into unregulated spaces if they want to read banned books
* Loss of library safe space to explore their identity (particularly around gender and sexuality)
* Pushing them to go into unregulated spaces if they want to read banned books
* Loss of library safe space to explore their identity (particularly around gender and sexuality)
Reposted by Louie Stowell
Looking at the impact of book-bans challenges on school librarians:
* Fear of legal, financial and employment risk
* Also fear of physical or emotional confrontation with parents
* Fear of legal, financial and employment risk
* Also fear of physical or emotional confrontation with parents
February 11, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Looking at the impact of book-bans challenges on school librarians:
* Fear of legal, financial and employment risk
* Also fear of physical or emotional confrontation with parents
* Fear of legal, financial and employment risk
* Also fear of physical or emotional confrontation with parents
Reposted by Louie Stowell
So thinking about the ongoing response to these challenges:
- School librarians see support from professional associations
- Mixed response from schools, from meeting with parents to understand the issue or responding to the complaint themselves
- More supportive guidance in collections policies
- School librarians see support from professional associations
- Mixed response from schools, from meeting with parents to understand the issue or responding to the complaint themselves
- More supportive guidance in collections policies
February 11, 2026 at 3:25 PM
So thinking about the ongoing response to these challenges:
- School librarians see support from professional associations
- Mixed response from schools, from meeting with parents to understand the issue or responding to the complaint themselves
- More supportive guidance in collections policies
- School librarians see support from professional associations
- Mixed response from schools, from meeting with parents to understand the issue or responding to the complaint themselves
- More supportive guidance in collections policies
Reposted by Louie Stowell
These challenges seem to happen at educational transition points (ie. entry into Reception/P1 and Year 7/S1) and mainly instigated by parents or guardians
#ipgsc
#ipgsc
February 11, 2026 at 3:25 PM
These challenges seem to happen at educational transition points (ie. entry into Reception/P1 and Year 7/S1) and mainly instigated by parents or guardians
#ipgsc
#ipgsc
Reposted by Louie Stowell
We hear a lot about this topic in the US, but the UK has its own recent history of book bans, from school librarians forced to resign to attempts to remove transgender books in children’s sections in the UK, this phenomenon is growing here too
#ipgsc
#ipgsc
February 11, 2026 at 3:25 PM
We hear a lot about this topic in the US, but the UK has its own recent history of book bans, from school librarians forced to resign to attempts to remove transgender books in children’s sections in the UK, this phenomenon is growing here too
#ipgsc
#ipgsc
Reposted by Louie Stowell
Breakout session on US library sales with Jacqueline Sells and Carolyn Morris @ipsuk.bsky.social, Stephanie Anderson of the New York Public Library and Amanda Ridout @boldwoodbooks.bsky.social. Some eye-catching stats on the size of the public and academic library networks #ipgsc
February 11, 2026 at 4:25 PM
Breakout session on US library sales with Jacqueline Sells and Carolyn Morris @ipsuk.bsky.social, Stephanie Anderson of the New York Public Library and Amanda Ridout @boldwoodbooks.bsky.social. Some eye-catching stats on the size of the public and academic library networks #ipgsc
Reposted by Louie Stowell
Top tips for successful marketing and publicity from Viviane Basset of Quarto. 'You can be creative without having a big budget - but you really need to understand the book and the audience... it's all in the prep' #ipgsc
February 11, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Top tips for successful marketing and publicity from Viviane Basset of Quarto. 'You can be creative without having a big budget - but you really need to understand the book and the audience... it's all in the prep' #ipgsc
Reposted by Louie Stowell
Free, onlyne, searchable Middel Englisshe Dictionarye. "The world's largest searchable database of Middle English lexicon and usage for the period 1100-1500."
quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-eng...
quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-eng...
Middle English Compendium
quod.lib.umich.edu
February 12, 2026 at 6:20 AM
Free, onlyne, searchable Middel Englisshe Dictionarye. "The world's largest searchable database of Middle English lexicon and usage for the period 1100-1500."
quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-eng...
quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-eng...
Reposted by Louie Stowell
One's a bildungsroman, the other is Roman buildings.
February 12, 2026 at 6:22 AM
One's a bildungsroman, the other is Roman buildings.
Reposted by Louie Stowell
Cherokee street magician.
Trying to preserve our Native American Magic Culture.
If you like my work, please, please, please help support it, any little bit helps a lot and is greatly appreciated.
cash.app/$lostcitymagic
www.paypal.me/JeramyNeugin
ko-fi.com/jeramyneugin
Trying to preserve our Native American Magic Culture.
If you like my work, please, please, please help support it, any little bit helps a lot and is greatly appreciated.
cash.app/$lostcitymagic
www.paypal.me/JeramyNeugin
ko-fi.com/jeramyneugin
Pay me on Cash App
Instantly exchange money for free on Cash App
cash.app
February 12, 2026 at 5:29 AM
Cherokee street magician.
Trying to preserve our Native American Magic Culture.
If you like my work, please, please, please help support it, any little bit helps a lot and is greatly appreciated.
cash.app/$lostcitymagic
www.paypal.me/JeramyNeugin
ko-fi.com/jeramyneugin
Trying to preserve our Native American Magic Culture.
If you like my work, please, please, please help support it, any little bit helps a lot and is greatly appreciated.
cash.app/$lostcitymagic
www.paypal.me/JeramyNeugin
ko-fi.com/jeramyneugin
Reposted by Louie Stowell
"It's Theory of Mind all the way down, kid!"
As a kid I used to play with my cousin's magic 8 ball and I thought that asking it questions really got me meaningful if sometimes confusing answers.
The problem with the Turing test is that we as a species are really happy to discover and interact with other intelligences and fill gaps in meaning.
The problem with the Turing test is that we as a species are really happy to discover and interact with other intelligences and fill gaps in meaning.
Maybe a lot of our controversies around "AI" could be solved if we took it off the pedestal and saw it as an NLP tech that lets us build NLP interfaces on systems that require consciously building other components that do actual reasoning, data collection and decision making etc.
February 11, 2026 at 12:37 PM
"It's Theory of Mind all the way down, kid!"
Reposted by Louie Stowell
(When you read a book, everyone else who has ever read it reads it with you. Ten, a hundred, a thousand, a million pairs of eyes, all reading along with you. It’s a thrilling thought.)
February 10, 2026 at 10:53 PM
(When you read a book, everyone else who has ever read it reads it with you. Ten, a hundred, a thousand, a million pairs of eyes, all reading along with you. It’s a thrilling thought.)
Reposted by Louie Stowell
We need more schemes like this! They make the state money and ensure world class creative talent can become world class creative talent!
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
Ireland’s basic income for the arts scheme becomes permanent
When piloted, initiative that provided €325 a week to eligible artists recouped more than its net cost, study shows
www.theguardian.com
February 11, 2026 at 9:58 AM
We need more schemes like this! They make the state money and ensure world class creative talent can become world class creative talent!
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
Reposted by Louie Stowell
How very black history month to suddenly discover even more underground railroad
A dresser inside a museum in New York City has been discovered as a secret stop on the Underground Railroad — the first of its kind discovered in Manhattan in over 100 years
February 11, 2026 at 4:43 AM
How very black history month to suddenly discover even more underground railroad
Reposted by Louie Stowell
only idiots rob banks. i rob zoos. i have 47 meerkats
December 7, 2024 at 2:28 AM
only idiots rob banks. i rob zoos. i have 47 meerkats
Reposted by Louie Stowell
I feel like I enjoyed a golden age of WFH 2020-2025 which perfectly coincided with my kids being small and massively contributed to being a good dad & good husband. Also the most successful period in my entire career!
February 10, 2026 at 9:23 AM
I feel like I enjoyed a golden age of WFH 2020-2025 which perfectly coincided with my kids being small and massively contributed to being a good dad & good husband. Also the most successful period in my entire career!