Patrick Friesen was born in Steinbach, Manitoba in 1946. He began writing stories at an early age and studied English literature at the University of Manitoba where he received his Bachelor of Arts with Honours. Friesen is a part-time Creative Writing instructor at Kwantlen University College. He has published many books of poetry and has also written stage and radio plays. Friesen's A Broken Bowl was a finalist for the 1997 Governor General's Award and Blasphemer's Wheel: Selected & New Poems in 1994 and won the Manitoba Book of the Year Award. Friesen has also translated a number of works of poetry and fairytales by Danish writers, has written text for modern dance and documentary film… scripts, and lyrics for songs and text for jazz improvisation.