Aileen Hennes was born and grew up in Bergen on the west coast of Norway; a town surrounded by mountains and invaded by water from sea and sky alike. The three hundred and something days of the year when it rained she spent in the library, or in the museums and art galleries, slowly becoming what she is today, a painter and writer. She is also the founder of NOAH for animal rights, now based in Oslo, after the Bergen headquarters were burnt to the ground in 1993. As a result of this arson attack Aileen moved to France, where she is currently living.
The "I" in this fable is an orangutan. As far as he knows, he's always lived in the zoo where he believes he is employed as a functionary to educate people about nature. Although he considers his mission futile - visitors average eighteen seconds in contemplating him
