At Collected Books, Durham, July 2026. Image credit: Collected Books
Louise Powell is an award-winning working-class writer from Middlesbrough and the author of Underdogs, a literary fiction novel which was published by the esteemed JM Originals imprint of John Murray Press, in July 2026.
Louise won the Sid Chaplin Northern Writers’ Award 2023 for the opening 6,000 words of Underdogs. She was the joint recipient of the Peter Lathan Prize for New Playwriting 2022, was published in Kit de Waal’s acclaimed Common People anthology, and her poetry collections have been exhibited in museums. Louise’s plays have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra and performed at nine theatres.
A 5 time recipient of Arts Council funding for projects ranging from prose to poetry to podcasts, Louise is a voice-driven writer who is passionate about telling working-class stories that have traditionally been undervalued and overlooked. She has extensive experience of working with post-industrial communities to present their stories and preserve their heritage in their own voices.
Louise has been commissioned by multiple organisations and festivals, including The Bookseller, New Writing North and The Bee, among others. Her work has appeared in national and regional publications, exhibitions and showcases, and been profiled in local and national media. She has also appeared as a panellist at multiple literature events, including festivals, and as a guest on local radio and podcasts.
Louise also has experience of facilitating creative writing workshops for groups aged 18-80, as well as mentoring in co-creation, and creative industry research projects.
Louise holds a PhD in English from Sheffield Hallam University and is a domestically and internationally published scholar. She has also held a GBGB professional greyhound trainer’s licence, and now writes alongside her beloved retired greyhound Right Paddy.
Louise is represented for literary fiction by Anna Dixon at YMU Literary, and for film / TV rights to Underdogs by Luke Speed at Insight Talent & Management.
If you would like to get in touch with Louise, you can do so via the following form:
