Konstantin Iliev is a Bulgarian author who has received several prestigious literary awards for his work, including the National "Hristo G. Danov" Overall Award in 2012. The document discusses his puppet play "The Mousy King", which depicts a society that does not respect human rights through grotesque violence. It received awards at the Twentieth UNIMA Congress and World Festival of Puppet Art in 2012. The play illustrates how powerfully rulers can control people by threatening violence against those who speak out, and shows that societies break down when individuals give up defending their rights.

2. 
Konstantin Iliev

4. 
The Plays
Music from Shatrovets (1973)

5. 
The Awards
 In 2012 Konstantin Iliev is
the recipient of the National
"Hristo G. Danov" Overall
Award for Contribution to
Bulgarian Literary Culture;
 In 2005 his book The Defeat
won the Elias Canetti
Literary Prize and in 2003
the Helicon Prize for New
Bulgarian Fiction;
 In 1996 the University of
Vienna granted him the
international Herder Prize
for overall achievement.

6. 
THE MOUSY KING
a puppet play for adults

11. 
I Am a Responsible Citizen
and I Know My Rights

14. 
Fundamental rights of freedom
of expression are infringed.

15. 
The words of the boyar Smilets show the means
which a powerful ruler uses to reign and to
keep people under subjection:
 "Isn’t there anyone to cut
off his tongue? Anybody
to take out his eyes ?
How dare this smelly
fisherman say that there
is no fish in the river! It
cannot be true! No fish in
the king’s river!"

17. 
According to the Charter of Fundamental Rights,
everyone has the right to respect for physical and
mental integrity, and the right to life.

19. 
According to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of
the European Union, no one shall be subjected to
torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment.

21. 
Everyone has the right of freedom of
thought and the right to share their
thoughts with others.

24. 
One of the most precious human rights
and freedom is the protection of
personal data and privacy.

25. 
The message of the play „The Mousy King " is clear
in the grotesque depiction of what happens in a
society that does not respect and protect human
rights. Violence is common when people put up with
their lot and give up defending their rights.

27. 
The Twentieth UNIMA Congress and World Festival of Puppet Art in Chengdu,
China, May-June 2012. A part of the puppet performers and crew of "The Mousy
King", a "Konstantin Velichkov" Theater production, after receiving the Award
for Excellent Plastic Arts and The Award For Excellent Design.

28. This presentation was created for “Different Cultures on European Stage”
Project.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This presentation reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission
cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information
contained therein.