pownal street press

About Us

We exist to give rise to brave stories…

In 2022, our founders Genevieve Loughlin and Mo Duffy came together to create a publishing company that could do more. We wanted to see more authenticity and bravery in the nonfiction landscape, for both adults and kids. We wanted more books about the human experience. We wanted books for tired moms, we wanted books that reflect the pain of grief, the courage to be in the present, and the resilience of change. We wanted beautiful books to read to our kids at night.

We are a publishing house that is accessible and versatile, we offer custom packages for authors who were prepared to invest, as well as a traditional stream. With our complementary and unique skill sets, Pownal Street Press was born.

Pownal Street Press offers a custom publishing model that builds on the editorial environment of traditional publishing, and allows authors the freedom to publish in a structured, yet supported atmosphere.

…and to be a light for community and connection.

Our Values

Create

Our business wouldn’t exist without the creativity of YOU — our authors. Our shop is fully focused on your needs, your experience, and the value of your work. Our authors are creatives; thought leaders and innovators pushing the boundaries in their fields. We can’t wait to see what you create!

Discover

We are here to produce and distribute bestselling nonfiction that makes a difference in the social fabric of our times. Our books start with journeys, they share transformations, and they connect to readers.

Amplify

Our distribution spans from your local independent bookstore, from our neighbourhood to yours, across Canada and the US. Our books are published to build community and connection. With efficient timelines that include distinct milestones and clear goals, we stay on top of your custom project to ensure your book’s success.

Empower

Together, we share your book’s vision. From intake to sales, we guide you through the channels of your book’s custom production, including a copy of our own handbook, Paper Dreams: How to Work with Your Team at PSP. We work jointly with you and our team of experienced publishing professionals to create the book that you’ve always imagined.

Mo Duffy
Founder & Editor in Chief

Mo is a seasoned editor and book coach who specializes in helping authors bring their stories to life. With a sharp editorial eye and a deep understanding of the publishing process, she excels at guiding writers from idea to finished book. Mo holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and is the author of Unpacked: From PEI to Palawan (Pottersfield Press, 2017), The Chemistry of Innovation: Regis Duffy and the Story of DCL (Island Studies Press, 2021), and Crescent Moon Friends (Acorn Press, 2022) and Radiant White Light (forthcoming).

Her writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Montreal Writes, Write Magazine, Literary Mama, and other national and international publications. In 2015, Mo founded Cargo Literary, an award-winning digital magazine devoted to transformational travel writing and underrepresented nonfiction voices, and was the paper’s Editor until 2021.

A dedicated educator, Mo has taught English and Communications at both the University of Prince Edward Island and Holland College for over a decade. She also served for six years with the PEI Writers’ Guild, including two terms as Executive Director. Whether in the classroom, on the page, or in a coaching session, Mo brings passion, insight, and care to every literary journey. moduffycobb.com

Genevieve Loughlin
Founder & Publisher

Genevieve oversees every phase of a book’s journey—from timeline management and design to print production, distribution, and sales strategy. With a deep understanding of how books are made and brought to readers, she works closely with authors, printers, sales reps, and distributors to ensure each title is beautifully produced and well-positioned in the market.

Genevieve holds a Master of Publishing from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Commerce from Dalhousie University. She began her career in marketing at Raincoast Books before becoming co-owner of a sales agency representing Canadian and international publishers to independent bookstores across the country. She was named “One to Watch in Canadian Publishing” by Quill & Quire and received the Canadian Booksellers Association’s Libris Award for Sales Representative of the Year.

Beyond publishing, Genevieve has spent over fifteen years as a yoga teacher and mentor. She currently teaches at Oxygen Yoga Charlottetown (June 2025), bringing the same grounded presence to the mat as she does to the publishing process.

At Pownal Street Press, Genevieve combines her business insight, creative sensibility, and dedication to craftsmanship to help authors create books that matter—and get them into the hands of readers who need them.

Ashley Macdonald
Export Manager

Ashley oversees the metadata strategy and serves as the primary liaison with the company’s distribution partners. With a sharp eye for detail and a strong sense of organization, Ashley plays a key role in ensuring titles are accurately positioned in global markets and launches are executed smoothly and on time.

Ashley brings five years of award-winning experience in the financial services industry, where she honed her skills in operations, analysis, and client service. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Saint Mary’s University and brings a unique blend of business insight and logistical expertise to the publishing world.

Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Ashley now lives in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where she continues to grow her career at the intersection of publishing, marketing, and operational excellence

Jordan Beaulieu
Book Designer

Jordan Beaulieu is a professional book designer and visual artist with a decade of experience creating publications, ranging from memoirs and exhibition catalogues to graphic novels. Raised in Montague, PEI, Jordan received a BFA from Concordia University and an MFA from NSCAD University before returning home to the island in 2020. In addition to their work with Pownal Street Press, Jordan is an active community volunteer within the arts and serves on the boards of several arts organizations, including Art in the Open and This Town is Small. In 2022, Jordan co-founded the Charlottetown Zine Fest, a free event celebrating independent and small-press publishing. She believes strongly in the importance and impact of creative practices and loves helping each author’s project take form.

Alison Strumberger
Managing Editor

Alison is a writer, editor, and publishing professional with over twenty years of experience across independent, trade, educational, and hybrid publishing. Her publishing journey began in Montreal as a submissions reader, and she spent the next decade freelancing as an editor while traveling through more than thirty countries.

In 2012, Alison moved to Melbourne, Australia to pursue graduate studies and deepened her publishing expertise while working with the travel imprint of one of the country’s leading independent publishers. She also expanded her portfolio of private and corporate clients. Upon relocating to Canada in 2017, she entered the hybrid publishing world, first as a project manager and later as managing editor at Tellwell Publishing.

Alison holds a BA in Creative Writing and English Literature from Concordia University and an MA in Writing, Publishing, and Editing from the University of Melbourne. Her thesis was a finalist for the Affirm Press Manuscript Prize. Her poetry, fiction, and essays have been widely published, and her debut collection, Redrafting Winter (BuschekBooks, 2015), was a finalist for the QWF’s A.M. Klein Prize for Poetry. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia.