Ole Marius Hylland is a cultural historian, educated at the University of Oslo. He majored in folklore studies, and wrote his doctoral thesis in cultural history about public education in the 1800s. He has worked as a lecturer at the University of Oslo and as a senior advisor at ABM-utvikling (Norwegian Archive, Library and Museum Authority).

His research interests include the ideology, rhetoric and history of cultural policy, public education and popular culture. Hylland has written a number of evaluations of different cultural policy projects, especially within the fields of performing arts, art for children and museology. He has written a number of books and articles on cultural policy and cultural history, including articles on the cultural policy of the Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet), on the topic of bad quality in the arts, and on the term intrinsic value.