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.
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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
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
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 11, 2026 at 3:25 PM
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
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...
That's terrible I love it.
February 12, 2026 at 6:28 AM
That's terrible I love it.
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
Oh magnificent!
February 11, 2026 at 9:07 PM
Oh magnificent!
I see the little tree rat is getting notions!
February 11, 2026 at 6:45 PM
I see the little tree rat is getting notions!
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...
I've heard a few ppl avoid it cos they're not interested in vampires who I know would love it. Glad you've worn her down!
February 11, 2026 at 9:57 AM
I've heard a few ppl avoid it cos they're not interested in vampires who I know would love it. Glad you've worn her down!
Fascinating that this is getting none of the hype even tho it's getting about the same amount of money. Actually I suppose it makes sense cos the hype is to attract investment because everyone's splashing around silly money for AI at the moment but not the same for fusion!
February 11, 2026 at 6:43 AM
Fascinating that this is getting none of the hype even tho it's getting about the same amount of money. Actually I suppose it makes sense cos the hype is to attract investment because everyone's splashing around silly money for AI at the moment but not the same for fusion!
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
Ok that is COMEDY BLOODY GOLD
February 11, 2026 at 6:37 AM
Ok that is COMEDY BLOODY GOLD
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