Dr Louise Powell
@louisepowell.bsky.social
Author of UNDERDOGS (JM Originals: John Murray Press) 2nd July 2026
Sid Chaplin Northern Writers' Award Winner 2023.
#CommonPeople Anthology. PhD in English.
Represented by Elise Middleton (YMU Literary).
Image Credit: Rob Irish
https://louisepowell.co.uk/
Sid Chaplin Northern Writers' Award Winner 2023.
#CommonPeople Anthology. PhD in English.
Represented by Elise Middleton (YMU Literary).
Image Credit: Rob Irish
https://louisepowell.co.uk/
For 6+ years, I’ve been working on a novel called UNDERDOGS. It's about a father, a son & the gamble of their lives.
I’m delighted to say that UNDERDOGS will be published by JM Originals @johnmurrays.bsky.social on 2 July 2026!
You can read the opening on p. 33:
www.hachette.co.uk/wp-content/u...
I’m delighted to say that UNDERDOGS will be published by JM Originals @johnmurrays.bsky.social on 2 July 2026!
You can read the opening on p. 33:
www.hachette.co.uk/wp-content/u...
September 19, 2025 at 10:38 AM
For 6+ years, I’ve been working on a novel called UNDERDOGS. It's about a father, a son & the gamble of their lives.
I’m delighted to say that UNDERDOGS will be published by JM Originals @johnmurrays.bsky.social on 2 July 2026!
You can read the opening on p. 33:
www.hachette.co.uk/wp-content/u...
I’m delighted to say that UNDERDOGS will be published by JM Originals @johnmurrays.bsky.social on 2 July 2026!
You can read the opening on p. 33:
www.hachette.co.uk/wp-content/u...
Spending the Bank Holiday as I've spent the past week or so: paying very close attention to the fine details of a project that means a lot to me, & feeling very grateful towards all those who are supporting it... #amwriting #amediting
August 25, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Spending the Bank Holiday as I've spent the past week or so: paying very close attention to the fine details of a project that means a lot to me, & feeling very grateful towards all those who are supporting it... #amwriting #amediting
Reposted by Dr Louise Powell
Reposted by Dr Louise Powell
Clay Lane Furnaces, South Bank, Middlesbrough, 1981, by Graham Smith.
July 29, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Clay Lane Furnaces, South Bank, Middlesbrough, 1981, by Graham Smith.
So impressed by @mariegardiner.bsky.social's 'Changing Landscapes' zine, which brightened my weekend when it arrived & now sits on my shelves for inspiration! With a beautiful colour palette and evocative images, it's a zine I'm already looking forward to returning to...
Trying not to wang on about this too much, but Changing Landscapes (my second zine) is available for £10 including (UK) postage. It contains many awesome ruins of houses, former industrial sites, abandoned vehicles... it's even got some sheep.
#Photography
www.mariegardiner.co.uk/zines-and-pr...
#Photography
www.mariegardiner.co.uk/zines-and-pr...
July 29, 2025 at 4:36 PM
So impressed by @mariegardiner.bsky.social's 'Changing Landscapes' zine, which brightened my weekend when it arrived & now sits on my shelves for inspiration! With a beautiful colour palette and evocative images, it's a zine I'm already looking forward to returning to...
"I have learned what is safe. What makes assumptions vanish:" it's been a long time since I read a piece that resonated with me as strongly as Matt Taylor's 'Tracksuits and Me'. It spoke to me on too many levels to sum up in one post, but it's brilliant to see writing like this commissioned.
"Class has a uniform," writes Matt Taylor. "Whenever I slip back into a tracksuit, Tesco staff follow me around the store, and the cashiers ask for ID. If I go for a run, police stop me and ask why I’m running."
He writes for us about clothing and class today:
thebeemagazine.com/tracksuits-a...
He writes for us about clothing and class today:
thebeemagazine.com/tracksuits-a...
Tracksuits and me
I still love them, but in Tesco they can bring no end of trouble.
thebeemagazine.com
July 29, 2025 at 10:23 AM
"I have learned what is safe. What makes assumptions vanish:" it's been a long time since I read a piece that resonated with me as strongly as Matt Taylor's 'Tracksuits and Me'. It spoke to me on too many levels to sum up in one post, but it's brilliant to see writing like this commissioned.
So pleased to have reached the 20,000 word mark of a new project. Lots of exploratory work around character & setting in there, so I’d be surprised if 5,000 appear in the polished draft – but the thought & the spirit behind those words will underpin the whole piece. #amwriting
July 29, 2025 at 10:10 AM
So pleased to have reached the 20,000 word mark of a new project. Lots of exploratory work around character & setting in there, so I’d be surprised if 5,000 appear in the polished draft – but the thought & the spirit behind those words will underpin the whole piece. #amwriting
Reposted by Dr Louise Powell
'The watcher' by Yorkshire born printmaker Hester Cox #WomensArt
July 23, 2025 at 4:36 AM
'The watcher' by Yorkshire born printmaker Hester Cox #WomensArt
"The decision to use a Northern dialect could mean the work itself is then subject to the stereotypes about Northerners being inferior, uncultured & uneducated": a powerful article from @jenbowden12.bsky.social on barriers which Northern writers (particularly dialect writers) face within publishing.
My first journal article 'Publishing the North: Bias, Diversity and the North–South Divide in the UK Book Industry' out now in Publishing Research Quarterly.
It's open access, anyone can read it, and I think if you work in the UK book industry you really should.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
It's open access, anyone can read it, and I think if you work in the UK book industry you really should.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Publishing the North: Bias, Diversity and the North–South Divide in the UK Book Industry - Publishing Research Quarterly
This article explores the place of writers and writing from Northern England in the contemporary UK book industry by highlighting the biases faced by these writers and the subsequent challenges of und...
link.springer.com
July 19, 2025 at 10:04 AM
"The decision to use a Northern dialect could mean the work itself is then subject to the stereotypes about Northerners being inferior, uncultured & uneducated": a powerful article from @jenbowden12.bsky.social on barriers which Northern writers (particularly dialect writers) face within publishing.
Reposted by Dr Louise Powell
One week to go until GOBBY LASS at Durham Fringe! If you like spoken word and stand-up poetry, come along durhamfringe.co.uk/events/gobby...
July 16, 2025 at 12:54 PM
One week to go until GOBBY LASS at Durham Fringe! If you like spoken word and stand-up poetry, come along durhamfringe.co.uk/events/gobby...
Reposted by Dr Louise Powell
Willenhall Writers have undertaken a commission as part of Creative Black Country’s Creative Communities project.
www.youtube.com/@WillenhallWritersGroup
Stop by and have a look. You’ll find poems, stories, memoir, glorious pictures of Willenhall, and even a song!
Happy Black Country Day!
www.youtube.com/@WillenhallWritersGroup
Stop by and have a look. You’ll find poems, stories, memoir, glorious pictures of Willenhall, and even a song!
Happy Black Country Day!
Willenhall Writers' Group
www.youtube.com
July 14, 2025 at 6:10 AM
Willenhall Writers have undertaken a commission as part of Creative Black Country’s Creative Communities project.
www.youtube.com/@WillenhallWritersGroup
Stop by and have a look. You’ll find poems, stories, memoir, glorious pictures of Willenhall, and even a song!
Happy Black Country Day!
www.youtube.com/@WillenhallWritersGroup
Stop by and have a look. You’ll find poems, stories, memoir, glorious pictures of Willenhall, and even a song!
Happy Black Country Day!
When I started writing seriously, I was given a beautiful pen for my birthday. I put the pen in my desk drawer & said that I wouldn't use it til I reached a certain writing milestone. Yesterday I met that milestone, & got to use that pen. It felt like writing with pure sunshine… #amwriting
July 10, 2025 at 8:01 AM
When I started writing seriously, I was given a beautiful pen for my birthday. I put the pen in my desk drawer & said that I wouldn't use it til I reached a certain writing milestone. Yesterday I met that milestone, & got to use that pen. It felt like writing with pure sunshine… #amwriting
Reposted by Dr Louise Powell
Shout out to @jenbowden12.bsky.social who's really struggling keeping the excellent Northern Voices podcast afloat atm. If anyone is able to donate even a little it'd help a lot. Pls share w/anyone who may be interested.
@beelitmag.bsky.social any chance of a RT pls?
donorbox.org/northern-voi...
@beelitmag.bsky.social any chance of a RT pls?
donorbox.org/northern-voi...
Northern Voices | Northern Voices (Powered by Donorbox)
Thank you for your support. It takes a bit of work to get NV out into the world each week, so here's a quick breakdown of what's involved: 1–2 hours reading per episode 1 hour creating a script/schedu...
donorbox.org
June 26, 2025 at 5:31 AM
Shout out to @jenbowden12.bsky.social who's really struggling keeping the excellent Northern Voices podcast afloat atm. If anyone is able to donate even a little it'd help a lot. Pls share w/anyone who may be interested.
@beelitmag.bsky.social any chance of a RT pls?
donorbox.org/northern-voi...
@beelitmag.bsky.social any chance of a RT pls?
donorbox.org/northern-voi...
Really enjoyed watching last night's livestream of the #NorthernWritersAwards 2025 & celebrating its talented awardees. Over the moon to see the powerhouse that is Lizzie Lovejoy win the Sid Chaplin Award! Congratulations everyone - you're in for such a special writing time!
We're delighted to be here at @northumbriauni.bsky.social tonight to celebrate the #NorthernWritersAwards 2025. We'll be kicking off the award announcements soon – come and follow along on our livestream!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC2Q...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC2Q...
June 25, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Really enjoyed watching last night's livestream of the #NorthernWritersAwards 2025 & celebrating its talented awardees. Over the moon to see the powerhouse that is Lizzie Lovejoy win the Sid Chaplin Award! Congratulations everyone - you're in for such a special writing time!
There's something very beautiful about editing a project that you've been working on for years. Looking back not just at the writer you were at the beginning, but the person too; reflecting on how you & the manuscript have grown... #amediting
June 24, 2025 at 9:11 AM
There's something very beautiful about editing a project that you've been working on for years. Looking back not just at the writer you were at the beginning, but the person too; reflecting on how you & the manuscript have grown... #amediting
I'm chuffed that Emma Morgan's new novel BEGGARS WOULD RIDE @northodoxpress.bsky.social is proving so popular! Emma is part of my Northern Writers' Awards Peer Group & is an incredibly talented, astute & generous writer. Really looking forward to reading this book!
Whilst we've been busy with events, our shiny new book, Beggars Would Ride by the brilliant Emma Morgan, has been quietly flying out of our shop. So much so that the entire first print run has nearly gone! There are more on the way. Check it out here:
www.northodox.co.uk/product-page...
www.northodox.co.uk/product-page...
June 23, 2025 at 7:46 AM
I'm chuffed that Emma Morgan's new novel BEGGARS WOULD RIDE @northodoxpress.bsky.social is proving so popular! Emma is part of my Northern Writers' Awards Peer Group & is an incredibly talented, astute & generous writer. Really looking forward to reading this book!
Over the past few days, I’ve appreciated having time to not just stop & look at the flowers, but at my writing career. The stories I’ve told, the ones I’m telling, & the ones I need to tell. Where to concentrate my energy so that those seeds of ideas grow into golden blooms...
June 18, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Over the past few days, I’ve appreciated having time to not just stop & look at the flowers, but at my writing career. The stories I’ve told, the ones I’m telling, & the ones I need to tell. Where to concentrate my energy so that those seeds of ideas grow into golden blooms...
Reposted by Dr Louise Powell
Celebrate Carers Week with an online writing retreat by University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education Centre for Creative Writing this Sunday. We'll be writing, reflecting, and discussing what we write. Free for carers. #writing #community #carer
bit.ly/3HD5P53
bit.ly/3HD5P53
Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: In Your Own Words onlne Writing Retreat. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.
Celebrating Carer's Week with an online writing retreat
bit.ly
June 13, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Celebrate Carers Week with an online writing retreat by University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education Centre for Creative Writing this Sunday. We'll be writing, reflecting, and discussing what we write. Free for carers. #writing #community #carer
bit.ly/3HD5P53
bit.ly/3HD5P53
Enjoyed Ep 1 of @clairemalcolm.bsky.social & Richard Benson's 'The Working-Class Library' podcast. It was fascinating to listen to Professor Simon James discuss George's Gissing's 'The New Grub Street'. Looking forward to reading it - & listening to more episodes!
open.spotify.com/episode/3gjN...
open.spotify.com/episode/3gjN...
New Grub Street by George Gissing
The Working Class Library · Episode
open.spotify.com
May 28, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Enjoyed Ep 1 of @clairemalcolm.bsky.social & Richard Benson's 'The Working-Class Library' podcast. It was fascinating to listen to Professor Simon James discuss George's Gissing's 'The New Grub Street'. Looking forward to reading it - & listening to more episodes!
open.spotify.com/episode/3gjN...
open.spotify.com/episode/3gjN...
During a Bank Holiday Monday sort-out, it was lovely to be reminded of these beautiful photos of greyhound racing, & the inspiration they've given me as I work on my flapping novel. They were posted to me without details of the photographer, but I wish I knew who they were so I could thank them!
May 26, 2025 at 4:52 PM
During a Bank Holiday Monday sort-out, it was lovely to be reminded of these beautiful photos of greyhound racing, & the inspiration they've given me as I work on my flapping novel. They were posted to me without details of the photographer, but I wish I knew who they were so I could thank them!
Reposted by Dr Louise Powell
View from Winding Tower, by Lesley Young, b.1942 (Salford Museum & Art Gallery). #WomensArt #NorthernArt
May 20, 2025 at 7:27 AM
View from Winding Tower, by Lesley Young, b.1942 (Salford Museum & Art Gallery). #WomensArt #NorthernArt
Reposted by Dr Louise Powell
Produced by the MA Museum and Artefact students, a new exhibition will be opening on June 14th in Palace Green Library.
Stop in to learn more about folklore from historic County Durham as told through famous stories like the Lambton Wyrm!
#beastsandlegends #studentexhibition
Stop in to learn more about folklore from historic County Durham as told through famous stories like the Lambton Wyrm!
#beastsandlegends #studentexhibition
May 16, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Produced by the MA Museum and Artefact students, a new exhibition will be opening on June 14th in Palace Green Library.
Stop in to learn more about folklore from historic County Durham as told through famous stories like the Lambton Wyrm!
#beastsandlegends #studentexhibition
Stop in to learn more about folklore from historic County Durham as told through famous stories like the Lambton Wyrm!
#beastsandlegends #studentexhibition
Really pleased to have finished a round of edits on a project which means a lot to me. Loved working with notes to improve the story as well as my craft! #amwriting
May 13, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Really pleased to have finished a round of edits on a project which means a lot to me. Loved working with notes to improve the story as well as my craft! #amwriting
Reposted by Dr Louise Powell
International Workers' Day is a celebration of labourers and the working classes on 1 May. I chose that day to publish Common People, memoirs of working class lives from both well known and new writers. A privilege to work with them all. So proud of this.
Link below.
Please share :)
Link below.
Please share :)
Common People: An Anthology of Working Class Writers
Working-class stories are not always tales of the underprivileged and dispossessed. Common People is a collection of essays, poems and memoir written in celebration, not apology: these are narratives ...
unbound.com
May 1, 2025 at 12:22 PM
International Workers' Day is a celebration of labourers and the working classes on 1 May. I chose that day to publish Common People, memoirs of working class lives from both well known and new writers. A privilege to work with them all. So proud of this.
Link below.
Please share :)
Link below.
Please share :)
1st May marks 6 years since I became a published writer, with a memoir about flapping at Easington Greyhound Stadium. That piece has taken - and continues to take - me to writing places I never dreamt possible. Forever grateful to be one of @kitdewaal.bsky.social's #CommonPeople!
May 1, 2025 at 8:24 AM
1st May marks 6 years since I became a published writer, with a memoir about flapping at Easington Greyhound Stadium. That piece has taken - and continues to take - me to writing places I never dreamt possible. Forever grateful to be one of @kitdewaal.bsky.social's #CommonPeople!