Our Team

  

 

Karen Kelsay

Editor-in-Chief

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Karen and her husband owned a business in Southern California for 24 years, where she worked as a buyer and salesperson. She regularly met with university bookstore managers in three counties and gathered significant distribution knowledge. This helped lay the groundwork for her publishing company. Karen is an award-winning poet who enjoys writing free verse and formal poetry. In 2012 she created Kelsay Books and has now edited over 1,500 titles (as of 2022). Karen schedules national and international poetry readings for Kelsay Books, co-edits The Orchards Poetry Journal, and selects published titles each year for poetry contests. 

  

 

Peter Davies

Accounts Manager and Copy Editor

Peter grew up in Birmingham, England, where he worked as a senior regional manager with the Initial Company and won acclaim as a three-time British road-racing motorcycle champion. He immigrated to America in 1987. Peter owned a distributing business for 24 years, supplying snack foods to retail clients in Southern California. He is now semi-retired. Peter manages the Kelsay Books accounts and helps with copy editing. He is also the Master of Ceremonies at the readings Kelsay Books arranges each year.

 

 

Shay Culligan

Book Cover Designer

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Originally from Ireland, Shay Culligan has worked in publishing as a graphic designer since 1983, including 18 years as a cover designer for Pearson Education. He is a graduate of Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. Along with working in graphic design, he is also very active in fine art and photography. Shay has won multiple awards over the years for his book covers. 

  

 

Jenna V. Wray

Assistant Editor

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Jenna V. Wray (Sumpter) began working for Kelsay Books in 2018. She is co-editor of The Orchards Poetry Journal. She earned a BFA in Creative Writing from the University of Evansville and Harlaxton College. In 2020, she received the Virginia Grabill Awards in Poetry and Nonfiction. She has also edited for Addiction Recovery, Thera Books, The Evansville Review, Polyphony Lit, and freelance clients.

  

 

 Julie Kelsay

 Layout Editor

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Julie Kelsay grew up in Texas and graduated from Sam Houston University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Management. She lives in Southern California, where she works part-time for Kelsay Books and as an office manager for an e-commerce company. Julie formats manuscripts and registers the book titles with Bowker. Her hobbies include hiking, skiing, knitting, quilting, and anything that requires a needle and thread.

 

 

 

Olivia Loftis

Social Media Coordinator and Copy Editor

Olivia J. Loftis is driven to publish compelling books and magazines,
help authors share their insights, and make the literary arts accessible to
all. She holds a BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson
College (2021). Since 2023, Olivia has been growing Kelsay Books’ blog as
Social Media Coordinator and implementing final touches as an Editorial
Assistant. Her dual passion for music and literature finds intertwined
expression in poetry.