Born in Moose Jaw, Solie grew up on the family farm in southwest Saskatchewan.
Over the years, she has worked as a farm hand, an espresso jerk, a groundskeeper, a newspaper reporter/photographer, an academic research assistant, and an English teacher.
Karen Solie's poetry, fiction and non-fiction have appeared in numerous North American journals, including Geist, The Fiddlehead, The Malahat Review, Event, Indiana Review, Arc Poetry Magazine, Other Voices, and The Capilano Review.
One of her short stories was featured in The Journey Prize Anthology 12 (2000).
In 2014, she was named as a trustee to the Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry.