Jón Sveinsson Nonni was born on the 16th November 1857 at Möðruvellir in Hörgárdalur where he was raised until the age of seven. His parents were respectable people and brought up their children in a good Christian spirit. In year 1865 the family moved to Akureyri into a little black wooden house which today is called the "Nonni´s house". His father died when Nonni was eleven years old. The times were difficult and it was too much for his mother to support herself and her children.

In 1870, when Nonni was twelve years old, a French nobleman offered to pay for his education in France. Because of the war in Europe at that time, he first travelled to Denmark where is spent one year and became a Roman Catholic. After that he travelled to France and started his studies at The Latin school in Amiens. Nonni´s younger brother Manni also began his studies at the same school but died very young, only 23 years old.

Nonni finished his studies at the Latin school and became a member of the Jesuit order in 1878. He studied at a university level for five years in France, Belgium and Holland and read literature, philosophy and theology. In 1883 he became a teacher at a Catholic school in Ordrup in Denmark were he worked for the next 20 years.

In 1912, Nonni gave up teaching due to illness. After that he started to write about his childhood adventures and travelled around the world, holding lectures. He wrote 12 books and delivered altogether about 5000 lectures.  His books have been translated into approx. 40 languages.

Jón Sveinsson - Nonni died in Cologne in Germany in Oktober 1944 at the age of 86