Morten Nilsen was born in Oslo, Norway. He learned English in grade school in Wawa, Ontario, before moving to Washington state with his family. A Vietnam veteran, he has an M.A. in Scandinavian literature from the University of Washington.

Though he lives in Duvall, Washington, with his wife, Russian poet Olga Zalogina, Morten Nilsen has never been a farmer. Snyder is the only pig he has ever known.

Morten Nilsen works as a graphic designer and publisher, as well as a writer. He is currently working on three writing projects: the second volume of Snyder’s story, a survival manual for visitors to Russia, and a novel.