Neil McKinnon was raised in Saskatchewan and served in the Royal Canadian Navy before working as a businessman, archaeologist, university lecturer, and freelance writer in China, Japan, Mexico, Canada, and the United States. His articles have appeared in Canadian, Japanese, Mexican, and US publications, and his book Tuckahoe Slidebottle (Thistledown Press, 2006) was short-listed for the Stephen Leacock Award for humour and the Alberta Literary Award for short fiction. He has served on literary juries and has edited and published academically. When not visiting family in Vancouver, McKinnon lives in Mexico.