Sławomir Mrożek was born in Borzecin, Poland, in 1930. 1957 saw the publication of his first book, Slon (The Elephant), a collection of satirical short stories. This was followed by works such as Tango, The Emigrants, and Striptease, which made him world-famous. In 1968 he went into exile, living many years in Paris and later in Mexico. He returned to Poland in 1996 and now lives in the South of France.