Erika Nyssonen grew up in Yellowknife, surrounded by northern animals and family pets that helped spark many of her ideas and stories. In 2009, Erika began writing and directing children’s plays for the Snowking’s Winter Festival, where she discovered her love of creating imaginative tales for young audiences.

Her first book, Gus and Pogo Go to the Vet, was inspired by her own cast of animal companions. The Last Tree is her second collaboration with illustrator Lucas, of who she worked with to co-write the graphic novel King Warrior with her husband, Jay Bulckaert. She continues to write stories rooted in the North, like The Last Tree, a gentle tale that explores loneliness, friendship, and the quiet beauty of the Treeline.