Louie Stowell

Last updated
Louie Stowell
Born1978
London, England
OccupationAuthor
Notable worksLoki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good
Notable awards
  • Children's Book Awards: Best Children's Book
  • Information Book Award
Website
louiestowell.com

Louie Stowell is a British author, best known for her comic series of illustrated children's books about the Norse god, Loki. [1]

Contents

Career

Stowell was born in 1978 in London, where she cites among her early reading influences The Lord of the Rings, Just William and Halo Jones. She went on to study English at Exeter College, Oxford. [2] She later worked as a cartoonist, copywriter, PR and publisher at Usborne Publishing, then at Ladybird/Penguin Random House [3] [4] before becoming a full-time novelist.

In 2009 she published a non-fiction book for children, The Story of Astronomy and Space, illustrated by Peter Allen, described in The Guardian as "an excellent, if simplistic introduction to the wonders of the Universe." [5] This was followed by a number of juvenile fiction and non-fiction books, including Look Inside:Your Body, Staying Safe Online and The Usborne Creative Writing Book. In 2016 she published The Usborne Official Astronaut's Handbook, illustrated by Roger Simo, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society's Young People's Book Prize, [6] and in 2019, Politics For Beginners, which was shortlisted for the Children's Illustrated Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2019. [7]

In 2019 she published the first volume of the Dragon in the Library trilogy, illustrated by Davide Orfu, then a standalone middle-grade novel, Otherland, and the first volume of the ongoing middle-grade Loki: A Bad God's Guide... series, illustrated by Stowell herself, which re-imagines Loki in the body of an eleven-year-old boy, and which was praised in The Guardian as "an irreverent romp through practical moral philosophy, like Netflix's The Good Place with more snarky cartoon snakes." [1] A Bad God's Guide to Being Good was named Waterstones Children's Book of the Month for February 2022, [8] and went on to win Best Overall Children's Book at the British Book Awards in 2023, as well as winning the Books for Younger Readers category. [9] [10] In 2023 Stowell's book for under-7 year olds, ABC Pride, co-written with Dr Elly Barnes and illustrated by Amy Phelps, won the SLA Information Book Award. [11]

In 2024 Stowell contributed a book of short stories to World Book Day. [12] [13]

Stowell is married, and lives with her wife in London. [14]

Awards

A Bad God's Guide to Being Good: Winner of Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, 2022. Winner of: British Book Award: Best Children's Book, 2023. [15] Winner of British Book Awards, Books For Younger Readers Category. [16]

A Bad God's Guide to Taking the Blame: Winner of Children's Favorites Award, 2024. [17]

ABC Pride: Winner of 2023 SLA Information Book Award. [18]

Bibliography

Juvenile fiction and Non-fiction

The Very First Christmas. UK: Usborne. 2006. p. 14. ISBN   1409525244.

Brer Rabbit and the Blackberry Bush. UK: Usborne. 2008. p. 32. ISBN   978-1474900454.

Stowell, Louie (2009). The Story of Astronomy and Space. UK. p. 104. ISBN   978-0746090060.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Stories of Vampires. UK: Usborne. 2010. p. 62. ISBN   978-1409509967.

Look Inside: Your Body. UK: Usborne. 2011. p. 14. ISBN   9781409549475.

Write Your Own Story Book. UK: Usborne. 2011. ISBN   978-1805317555.

The Odyssey. UK: Usborne. 2014. p. 64. ISBN   9781409585022.

Staying Safe Online. UK: Usborne. 2016. p. 144. ISBN   978-1474925860.

Politics For Beginners. UK: Usborne. 2021. p. 128. ISBN   978-1801313896.

Middle Grade Fiction

The Dragon in the Library trilogy (illustrated by Davide Orfu)

The Dragon in the Library. UK: Nosy Crow. 2019. p. 224. ISBN   9781788001090.

The Monster in the Lake. UK: Nosy Crow. 2020. p. 224. ISBN   9781788001137.

The Wizard in the Wood. UK: Nosy Crow. 2021. p. 224. ISBN   9781788006330.

Otherland. UK: Nosy Crow. 2021. p. 224. ISBN   9781788000475.

Loki: A Bad God series

Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good. UK: Walker. 2022. p. 240. ISBN   9781536232448.

Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Taking the Blame. UK: Walker. 2023. p. 288. ISBN   9781536226300.

Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Ruling the World. UK: Walker. 2024. p. 288. ISBN   9781536226317.

A Midsummer Night's Drama, illustrated by Isobel Lundie (2024, Little Tiger). [19]

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References

  1. 1 2 Empire, Kitty (2022-03-08). "Fiction for older children reviews – magic and morality, beyond Marvel". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  2. ↑ "Louie Stowell (1997, English) publishes new children's book". Exeter College. 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  3. ↑ "Ladybird reveals promotions and new recruits for editorial". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  4. ↑ "Louie Stowell". Little Tiger. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  5. ↑ WolfTiger, Theo (2015-05-30). "The Story of Astronomy and Space by Louie Stowell and Peter Allen - review". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  6. ↑ "the Usborne Official Astronaut's Handbook". Royal Society. 2016.
  7. ↑ Stowell, Louie; Frith, Alex (2021-05-27). Politics for Beginners. Usborne Publishing Limited. ISBN   978-1-80131-389-6.
  8. ↑ "Booksellers Association - Books Are My Bag Readers Awards 2022 winners announced". The Booksellers Association of the United Kingdom & Ireland Limited. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  9. ↑ "Stowell named overall winner of The Children's Book Award for Loki". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  10. ↑ Anderson, Porter (2023-03-21). "British Book Awards: Trade and 'Book of the Year' Shortlists". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  11. ↑ "Winners of 2023 SLA Information Book Award – Books For Keeps". booksforkeeps.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  12. ↑ "'Norse God' author and illustrator inspires pupils during Peterborough school visit". Peterborough Matters. 2024-05-08. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  13. ↑ "Books by Okogwu, Biddulph and Stowell on World Book Day 2024 £1 book list". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  14. ↑ "About me". Louie Stowell. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  15. ↑ "Stowell named overall winner of The Children's Book Award for Loki". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  16. ↑ Anderson, Porter (2023-03-21). "British Book Awards: Trade and 'Book of the Year' Shortlists". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  17. ↑ "Author Book Awards". www.teachingbooks.org. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  18. ↑ "Winners of 2023 SLA Information Book Award – Books For Keeps". booksforkeeps.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  19. ↑ "Little Tiger pounces on Stowell and Lundie's re-imagining of Shakespeare". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
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