The mouse who rose to fame
Mousie Longtail is a coming-of-age story, which demonstrates, in an imaginative and humorous way, how to learn to stand on your own two feet, form your own opinions, overcome your fears and take responsibility. The story points to what is needed in order to survive.
In cooperation with the Austrian Embassy, the publisher Hernals and DIE2, the Association for Theatre and Concert Performance and the Dissemination of European Culture, the Goethe-Institut Cyprus is organizing an evening with Elsie Slonim, whereby her book, “Mousie Longtail”, will be introduced. Alongside a presentation by Mercedes Echerer, visitors will have the opportunity to go on a musical and visual journey with the tap-dancing Mousie Longtail. Adele Razkövi's book illustrations will also be featured in the events hall.
Music: Hüseyin Kirmizi
Elsie Slonim, the author
Photo: Chris Haderer
If life is a journey, then Elsie Slonim's journey began on 21 November 1917 in Brooklyn (USA). Slonim and her Austrian born parents were first led to Baden near Vienna in 1919, then to Hungary and Romania, and later across Europe, until they eventually returned to the USA. As a witness to many historic events, Elsie experienced two world wars, more than one economic crisis, National Socialism, the founding and building of Israel, an evacuation from Cyprus to Palestine, and finally, after her return to Cyprus, the Turkish invasion in 1974. As her husband had saved the life of the father of a Turkish military post commander decades before, the family Slonim was the only one not to be relocated in 1974. Since the death of her husband David in 2007, Elsie lives with her dachshund "Schatzi" in the military restricted area. Elsie began writing in English in the late 70s.
Mousie Longtail, the mouse who rose to fame – her first storybook – first appeared in the US in 1979 and sold successfully. Elsie Slonim turned 100 last year in November, and on this occasion,
Mousie Longtail was first translated into German. It appeared as a bilingual fairy tale book, which also included the bilingual audio versions.
Adele Razkövi, the illustrator
The artist and filmmaker studied in Granada-Spain at the University of Applied Arts Vienna (2003-2008 under Prof. Attersee) and at the Facultad de bellas artes, Alonso Cano. She lives and works in Lower Austria and Southern Spain, and specializes in the fields of drawing, painting, and object and video making. Numerous exhibitions at home and abroad, as well as awards and promotions, underline the diversity of her work as an artist.
Mousie Longtail is her first work as an illustrator of a storybook.
Mercedes Echerer, the presenter
Photo: Hubert Mican
Ms Echerer is a citizen of the world, with a penchant for the European, an actress, interpreter, cultural activist, Member of the European Parliament (1999-2004), director of EU XXL Film, director of Die2, publisher, audiobook producer, and lyrical enthusiast. She is a native of Linz, the daughter of a Hungarian Transylvanian and an Upper Austrian. The versatile actress has starred in title roles at, among others, the Volkstheater Vienna, Theater in der Josefstadt, Theater an der Wien (
Cats), Stadttheater Walfischgasse, Theater in der Drachengasse, Landestheater St.Pölten, Stadttheater Klagenfurt, Stadttheater Frankfurt, Reichenau Summer Games, L'inoui Luxembourg, Here Theatre NYC, as well as in international films and TV productions. She moderated the ORF cult show
Kunst-Stücke and was the host of
Café Sonntag (Ö1).
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