Avellina Balestri, Editor-in-Chief
Avellina Balestri is a Catholic author and editor based in the historic borderlands of Maryland and Pennsylvania. Her stories, poems, and essays have been featured in over forty publications, and she has been interviewed on over twenty podcasts and channels about faith, literature, and history. She has published four books, participated in multiple anthologies, and is currently working on two historical fiction series: The Telling of the Beads, reimagining the legend of Robin Hood, and All Ye That Pass By, set during the American Revolution. She was a founding member of Expressions in 2012 and became Editor-in-Chief of The Fellowship of The King in 2015. She continues to hold that position since the merge with Ink & Fairydust in 2017, which created Fellowship & Fairydust. Under its auspices, she organized two interfaith literary conferences at Oxford and Cambridge Universities. In addition to these pursuits, Avellina is a singer, songwriter, and musician.
G. Connor Salter, Managing Editor
G. Connor Salter was born in North Carolina, spent his childhood in Germany, and has spent much of his adulthood in Colorado, with occasional travels in Europe and beyond. He would love to meet someone who can determine where he is from. He is a writer and editor fascinated by the intersection of faith and creativity, and by underexplored authors who have examined this intersection. Much of his work covers underdiscussed topics on the Inklings, which has led to articles published in Mythlore, The Journal of Inklings Studies, CSL: The Bulletin of the New York C.S. Lewis Society, The Lamp Post, and such websites as The Oddest Inkling and A Pilgrim in Narnia. When he isn’t writing or reading, he feeds his currently untreated addiction to classic British comedy.
Sean Earner, Treasurer
Sean Earner is a Roman Catholic and proud native of the Old Dominion who currently works as a middle school math and science teacher. He is a veteran officer in the Legion of Mary and a fully professed member of the Secular Discalced Carmelites. In addition, he has a Masters in Education from Marymount University and a Masters in History in George Mason University. In poetry, he follows the example of Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Basil Bunting, and Walt Whitman. In the novel form, his inspirations include Joseph Roth, Leopoldo Alas, and Marguerite Yourcenar. His historic interests extend from second Thirty Years War to late antiquity, from the American Civil War to Napoleon Bonaparte. In philosophy, he is a disciple of Alaisder Macintyre and of the Hellenistic schools. Finally, in theology he is guided by St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and, above all, by the lives and words of the saints, who are part of the Living Book of Divine Wisdom.
Amanda Pizzolatto, Associate Web Editor
Amanda Pizzolatto is a Roman Catholic who resides in rosy East Texas in a quiet neighborhood to get her thinking, and daydreaming, in order to write well rounded stories. Or, well, as well rounded as can be for a newbie amateur author. She’s hoping to have some wonderful books published in the near future, like of a group of friends who must use their imagination to fight off a villain trying to control the world of stories or of nymphs solving mysteries or in space, or figuring out how to work dinosaurs into a western, but in the meantime, working on fanfiction and short stories to get better in her craft. Right now she’s getting writing done when she’s not working, reading, hanging out with friends, watching some TV and movies, and daydreaming about all the stories she still wants to write while listening to some of her favorite music. Other interests include topics about space, dinosaurs, the ecosystem, cultures, languages, pop culture, and history, many of which find their way into her stories. Some of her stories be found not just on Fellowship and Fairydust, but also on Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, and Fanfiction.net under her pseudonym Aurora Mandeville.
Hannah Skipper, Associate Web Editor
Hannah Skipper hails from about right smack dab in the middle of the Sunshine State. More specifically, she lives between two small towns, on a rather large cattle ranch that her family has owned for six generations (I hope I counted that right). That being said, she stays busy with land and animal care, which include nearly 1800 acres of grassy pastures and gator infested waterholes, plus lots cows, a number of horses, and one sassy black cat, who is queen over all. When she isn’t doing ranch chores, she has a little side business of in-house pet sitting that also makes her schedule interesting. Aside from all that, she was raised in the Methodist denomination and enjoys a regular Bible study. The Word of God also informs much of her story writing and, when she is able, she enjoys creating wonderful written works of art, examples of which can be found under her fanfiction penname, Violets and Lilies. She also enjoys getting into the kitchen to create new and interesting meals and she is always up for trying a new dish.
Leah Fisher, Media Editor
Leah Fisher is a Pentecostal preacher, author, and amateur historian surviving modernity as a minister at Eagles Wings Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a lover of Jesus with a passion for history, literature, and redeeming the arts, she seeks to purvey the beauty of language that reflects the Creator in His revealing Truth. Battling against the cultural zeitgeist, Leah’s writings fly in the face of moral relativism and historical presentism, advocating an understanding of society, human nature, purpose, and the past as antiquated as her lexicon. As an author, no genre is spared from the flash of her pen; she has published over a dozen novels and short stories, ranging in tone from high fantasy adventures and the zany world of academic parody to the creeping, contemplative dread of Gothic horror. Alongside some religious reflections, she is currently (and perhaps permanently) bogged down in the world of biographical studies, researching the life and career of Hans von Dohnanyi.
Amer Mahmood, Technical Advisor
Amer Mahmood’s journey bridges the realms of engineering, quality assurance, and creative expression. With a career spanning global energy and engineering projects, Amer has honed his skills in project management, quality systems, and process improvement while fostering a passion for innovation beyond the technical sphere. Away from the corporate – he channels his creativity into composing music, crafting moral-themed fairytales, and bringing characters to life through live-action role play. In the digital creative space, he provides WordPress support and website development for the F&F creative community. Amer has a quirky blend of analytic professionalism and artistic storytelling allowing him to approach tasks with structured problem-solving and imaginative flair.
Wesley Hutchins, Staff Author
Wesley Hutchins is a native and resident of Savannah, Georgia, and a 2012 graduate of the University of Georgia. He is an Eagle Scout, and hails from a Methodist and Pentecostal religious background. He became involved with The Fellowship of The King in 2014 as a guest writer and archivist and has served in various roles, from writing articles to launching fundraisers, since the inception of Fellowship & Fairydust in 2017. He counts history, sports, current events, politics, economics, and ocean liners among his varied interests. He also enjoys a wide range of music, including classical, jazz, and film/TV soundtracks, and has played percussion instruments, piano, trombone, and saxophone. Wesley is currently writing a series of historical fiction novels about a forbidden interracial romance set in the Antebellum South.
David Glenn, Staff Author
David Glenn is an aspiring author of middle-grade fiction living in the hot desert border of Utah and Arizona. He has written a few articles for the Fellowship & Fairydust magazines and has a few WIPs that are almost finished. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, David aspires to write stories that he would be proud to show his Savior. He is also a member of Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. David aims to make sure he presents the best possible version of his work as possible as he believes it’s his responsibility to do so. His writings usually involve traveling to parallel worlds and seeing dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. He hopes that his writings will inspire people to see the good in the world.
Martina Juričková, Staff Author
Martina Juričková is a postdoctoral assistant at the Department of English and American studies at Constantine the Philosopher University, Nitra, Slovakia, where she teaches classes on British and Postcolonial literature and modern British drama. She is a lifelong fan of Tolkien, having devoted her research to the exploration of topics like virtues, vices, morality, and friendship in his Middle-earth novels. Besides Fellowship and Fairydust, where she started publishing pieces of her research first, she has published in various local and international academic and Tolkienist journals, including Amon Hen and Mallorn. Her most important publications include: “Spiritual Sloth and Diligence in Tolkien’s Work”, a chapter in Theology and Tolkien: Constructive Theology, and “Death—The Gift of God to Man: Exploring the Understanding of Death in Tolkien’s Legendarium”, an article in Religion and the Arts journal. Her book Cardinal Vices in Middle-earth should come to print any minute now.
Ray E. Lipinski, Staff Author
Ray E. Lipinski was Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, and currently lives in Dallas, Texas. He has written numerous stories and poems for Fellowship & Fairydust and been published in both their blog and multiple published anthologies. He is a member of the Cowtown Scottish Society, Titanic Historical Society and a founding member of North Texas Cosplay. Over the last two years, he has been working on the production of the Scottish soap opera, Haggis Ridge. He is currently writing his first novella about his journey through the Scottish Highlands while traveling on the West Highland Way. When he’s not spending time with his twin daughters or singing in his church choir, you’ll find him at any Comicon, Ren Faire or Celtic festival.
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