Publications

Academic Books

The Functions of Role-Playing Games: How Participants Create Community, Solve Problems, and Explore Identity. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2010.

Bowman, Sarah Lynne, and Josefin Westborg, eds. 2024. Role-playing Games for Interdisciplinary Research Collaborations. CIRCUS Interdisciplinary Insights, Uppsala University.

Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters

“Games of Personal Horror: Shadow Work and Role-playing Experiences.” In Monstrosity in Games and Play: A Multidisciplinary Examination of the Monstrous in Contemporary Cultures, edited by Sarah Stang, Mikko Meriläinen, Joleen Blom, and Lobna Hassan. Amsterdam University Press. (In press for 2024).

Bowman, Sarah Lynne, and Andreas Lieberoth. “Psychology and Role-playing Games.” In The Routledge Handbook of Role-Playing Game Studies, edited by José P. Zagal and Sebastian Deterding. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge, 2024.

Stenros, Jaakko, and Sarah Lynne Bowman. “Transgressive Role-play.” In The Routledge Handbook of Role-Playing Game Studies, edited by José P. Zagal and Sebastian Deterding. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge, 2024.

Bowman, Sarah Lynne, and Karen Schrier. “Players and Their Characters in Role-playing Games.” In The Routledge Handbook of Role-Playing Game Studies, edited by José P. Zagal and Sebastian Deterding. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge, 2024.

Hammer, Jessica, Alexandra To, Karen Schrier, Sarah Lynne Bowman, and Geoff Kaufman. “Learning and Role-Playing Games.” In The Routledge Handbook of Role-Playing Game Studies, edited by José P. Zagal and Sebastian Deterding. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge, 2024.

Harviainen, J. Tuomas, Rafael Bienia, Sarah Lynne Bowman, et al. “Live-Action Role-Playing Games.” In The Routledge Handbook of Role-Playing Game Studies, edited by José P. Zagal and Sebastian Deterding. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge, 2024.

“Immersion and Shared Imagination.” In The Routledge Handbook of Role-Playing Game Studies, edited by José P. Zagal and Sebastian Deterding. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge, 2024. (Earlier version here).

“The Epiphany Experiment: Role-playing for Personal Transformation.” 2023. In Fictional Practices of Spirituality I: Interactive Media, edited by Felix Schniz and Leonardo Marcato, 23-52. Bielefeld, Germany: Transcript Verlag.

Baird, Josephine, Sarah Lynne Bowman, and Kjell Hedgard Hugaas. 2022. “Liminal Intimacy: Role-playing Games as Catalysts for Interpersonal Growth and Relating.” In The Magic of Games, edited by Nikolaus Koenig, Natalie Denk, Alexander Pfeiffer, and Thomas Wernbacher, 169-171. Edition Donau-Universität Krems.

Academic Book Chapters

Bowman, Sarah Lynne, and Josefin Westborg. “Cheat Sheet: What We Can Learn from EduLARP and Other (Non-TT-)RPGs.” In German: “Was wir von eduLARPs und anderen (Nicht-Tisch-)Rollenspielen lernen können.” In #eduRPG. Rollenspiel als Methode der Bildung, edited by Frank J. Robertz and Kathrin Fischer. Gelsenkirchen: SystemMatters Publ. In press for 2024 publication.

Westborg, Josefin, and Sarah Lynne Bowman. “GM Screen: The Didactic Potential of RPGs.” In German: “Das didaktische Potential von Rollenspielen.” In #eduRPG. Rollenspiel als Methode der Bildung, edited by Frank J. Robertz and Kathrin Fischer. Gelsenkirchen: SystemMatters Publ. In press for 2024 publication.

“Discovering Your Inner Wizard: The Wide World of Harry Potter Role-playing Games.” In Playing Harry Potter: Essays and Interviews on Fandom and Performance, edited by Lisa Brenner and John Michael Sefel, 86-107. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 2015.

“Jungian Theory and Immersion in Role-Playing Games.” In Immersive Gameplay: Essays on Participatory Media and Role-Playing, edited by Evan Torner and William J. White, 31-51. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2012.

“The Dichotomy of the Great Mother Archetype in Disney Heroines and Villainesses.” Vader, Voldemort, and other Villains: Essays on Evil in Popular Media, edited by Jamey Heit, 80-96. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc., 2011.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

“Finding the Self in Role-playing Games: Weaving Myth, Narrative, and Identity.” Media Practice and Education (March 2, 2024).

Diakolambrianou, Elektra, and Sarah Lynne Bowman. 2023. “Dual Consciousness: What Psychology and Counseling Theories Can Teach and Learn Regarding Identity and the Role-Playing Game Experience.” Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM 2, no. 2: 5-37.

Baird, Josephine, and Sarah Lynne Bowman. 2022. “The Transformative Potential of Immersive Experiences Within Role-playing Communities.” Revista de Estudos Universitário 48: 1-48.

“Active Imagination, Individuation, and Role-playing Narratives.” Tríade: Revista de Comunicação, Cultura e Midia 5, no. 9 (Jun 2017): 158-173.

Bowman, Sarah Lynne and Andhe Standiford. “Enhancing Healthcare Simulations and Beyond: Immersion Theory and Practice.” International Journal of Role-playing 6 (2016): 12-19.

Bowman, Sarah Lynne and Andhe Standiford. “Educational Larp in the Middle School Classroom: A Mixed Method Case Study.” International Journal of Role-playing 5 (2015): 4-25.

“Educational Live Action Role-playing Games: A Secondary Literature Review.” In The Wyrd Con Companion Book 2014, edited by Sarah Lynne Bowman, 112-131. Los Angeles, CA: Wyrd Con, 2014.

“Social Conflict and Bleed in Role-playing Communities.” International Journal of Role-playing 4 (2013): 4-25.

Journal Articles

“Immersion into Larp: Theories of Embodied Narrative Experience.” First Person Scholar (March 8, 2017).

“Connecting Role-playing, Stage Acting, and Improvisation.” Analog Game Studies 2, no. 5 (May 11, 2015).

Bowman, Sarah Lynne and Evan Torner. “Post-Larp Depression.” Analog Game Studies 1, no. 1 (Aug 1, 2014).

“The Psychological Power of the Role-playing Experience.” The Journal of Interactive Drama 2, no. 1 (January 2007): 1-14.

Peer-Reviewed Extended Abstracts

Robinson, Raquel, Karin Johansson, James Collin Fey, Elena Márquez Segura, Jon Back, Annika Waern, Sarah Lynne Bowman, and Katherine Isbister. “Edu-larp @ CHI.” In CHI EA ’23: Extended Abstracts of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, no. 346, April 2023. 1-5

Popular Book Chapters

Bowman, Sarah Lynne, and Kjell Hedgard Hugaas. 2021. “Magic is Real: How Role-playing Can Transform Our Identities, Our Communities, and Our Lives.” In Book of Magic: Vibrant Fragments of Larp Practices, edited by Kari Kvittingen Djukastein, Marcus Irgens, Nadja Lipsyc, and Lars Kristian Løveng Sunde, 52-74. Oslo, Norway: Knutepunkt.

“Exercise 53: Dialoguing with the Shadow Self.” In Psychic Witch: A Metaphysical Guide to Meditation, Magick & Manifestation, edited by Mat Auryn, 110-112. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 2020.

“The Larp Domino Effect.” In Shuffling the Deck: The Knutepunkt 2018 Color Printed Companion, edited by Annika Waern and Johannes Axner, 161-170. Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University: ETC Press, 2017.

“Ritualizing the Larp Experience.” In Mind’s Eye Theatre: Vampire The Masquerade Immersion Secrets. By Night Studios, 2017.

Brown, Maury, Sarah Lynne Bowman, Quinn D, Kat Jones, and Orli Nativ. “Immerton: A Society of Women.” In Shuffling the Deck: The Knutepunkt 2018 Color Printed Companion, edited by Annika Waern and Johannes Axner, 41-52. Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Mellon University ETC Press, 2017.

“Love, Sex, Death, and Liminality: Ritual in Just a Little Lovin’.” In The Wyrd Con Companion Book 2015, edited by Sarah Lynne Bowman, 8-19. Los Angeles, CA: Wyrd Con, 2015.

Conference Proceedings

“‘We Only Come Out at Night’: An Overview of Vampire Role-playing.” In Vampires: Myths and Metaphors of Enduring Evil, edited by Carla T. Kungl, 129-132. Oxford, England: The Inter-Disciplinary Press, 2003.

Book Reviews

“A Review of Nordic Larp.” In Branches of Play: The 2011 Wyrd Con Academic Companion, edited by Amber Eager. Los Angeles: Wyrd Con, 2011.

“Review: Hollywood vs. Hardcore: How the Struggle over Censorship Created the Modern Film Industry, by Jon Lewis.” The Velvet Light Trap 49 (Spring 2002): 102-104.

Translated Articles

Funções dos Role-Playing Games: como participantes criam comunidades, resolvem problemas e exploram identidades. Translated into Portuguese by Tadeu Rodrigues Iuama. Editora Provocare. (In press).

Bowman, Sarah Lynne, and Kjell Hedgard Hugaas. “Le Manifeste de L’Effet Papillon.” Translated into French by LolV Peregrin Lacave. Electro-GN: La Gégène du GN, March 13, 2023.

Baird, Josephine, and Sarah Lynne Bowman. “O potencial transformativode experiências imersivas em comunidades de role-playing.” Translated into Portuguese by Tadeu Rodrigues Iuama. Revista de Estudos Universitário 48 (2022): 1-48.

“Bleed, la comunicazione inconscia tra giocatore e personaggio (di Sarah Lynne Bowman).” Translated by Livia Blasi. Un Larp Alla Volta:
Appunti Per Sopravvivere al Gioco di Ruolo dal Vivo, September 13, 2019.

“S’Immerger dans l’Lmmersion.” Translated and edited into French by Jérôme Larre. Lapin Marteau, May 6, 2018.

“Active Imagination, Individuation, and Role-playing Narratives.” Translated into Portuguese by Tadeu Rodrigues. Tríade: Revista de Comunicação, Cultura e Midia 5, no. 9 (Jun 2017): 158-173.

“Social Conflict in Role-Playing Communities.” Translated into Russian by Olga Vorobyeva. In Summa of Larps 2012-2013: Role-playing Convention “ComCon.” Moscow, Russia, 13-16 March 2014: Collected Works, edited by E. Micheikina, 280-297. Moscow: Your Polygraphic Partner, 2014.

Grants and Fellowships

Coordinator: Empowering Game Design Education with Transformative Role-playing Games (EDGE). Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership 2023: Uppsala University (coordinator), Turku University of Applied Sciences, Chaos League, Dragons’ Nest, Avalon Larp Studios.

Beneficiary: Role-Playing Games on Conflict Transformation for Equity in Higher Education through Virtual Exchange (ROCKET). Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnership 2023: Göttingen University (coordinator), Uppsala University, Groningen University in the ENLIGHT Network.

Coordinator: Transforming Games: Behavior, Identity, Culture, and Community (TAG). Game Design, Centre for Gender Research, Psychology. CIRCUS, Uppsala University. 2024-2026.

Beneficiary: “Larpocracy: A Cross-disciplinary Team Working Towards an EU Proposal.” Informatics and Media (coordinator), Political Science, Game Design. CIRCUS, Uppsala University. 2023-2024. May 5, 2023.

Coordinator: “Transformative Play Initiative Seminar.” Sustainable Heritage Research Forum, Uppsala University.

Advisor: “SWEL: Social Wearables Edu-Larp: A Camp to Enhance Girls’ Computational Learning and Motivation.” National Science Foundation. Approved July 29, 2020. Grant.

Coordinator: “The Benefits of Live Action Role-Playing Games in Secondary Education: A Case Study.” Ashford University Fellows Program. Approved August 28, 2012.

Editorial Experience

Academic Books

The Wyrd Con Companion Book 2015. Los Angeles, CA: Wyrd Con, 2015.

The Wyrd Con Companion Book 2014. Los Angeles, CA: Wyrd Con, 2014.

Wyrd Con Companion Book 2013. Edited by Sarah Lynne Bowman and Aaron Vanek. Los Angeles, CA: Wyrd Con, 2013.

Wyrd Con Companion 2012. Edited by Sarah Lynne Bowman and Aaron Vanek. Los Angeles, CA: Wyrd Con, 2012.

Academic Journals

International Journal of Role-playing 14 (September 2023). Editor.

International Journal of Role-playing 13 (May 2023). Editor.

International Journal of Role-playing 12 (2022). Editor.

International Journal of Role-playing 11 (2021). Editor.

International Journal of Role-playing 10 (2020). Editor.

International Journal of Role-playing 9 (2018). Coordinating Editor.

International Journal of Role-playing 8 (2018). Coordinating Editor.

International Journal of Role-playing 7 (2016). Coordinating Editor.

International Journal of Role-playing 6 (2016). Coordinating Editor.

Subculture, Deviance, and Normalcy in Post-1969 Film and Television. The Velvet Light Trap 53 (Spring 2004). Coordinating Editor.

Sounding Off: Film Sound/Film Music. The Velvet Light Trap 51 (Spring 2003). Coordinating Editor.

Beauty Marks. Velvet Light Trap 49 (Spring 2002).

Documentation Books

The Book of Mad About the Boy (2012 U.S. Run): Documenting a Larp about Gender, Motherhood, and Values. Copenhagen, Denmark: Rollespilsakademiet, 2013.