In her YA novel “Mo & Moritz,” renowned Austrian author Julya Rabinowich tells the story of a budding romance between two young men who could hardly be more different. Mo comes from a Muslim refugee family and, against all expectations, lands an apprenticeship at a prestigious hair salon. Moritz — who also goes by Mo — is from a Jewish family still living with the trauma of the Shoah. After meeting at the Vienna Opera Ball (Mo is working there as a hairdresser, Moritz is a guest), a tender love story unfolds that crosses every social boundary and cultural divide.

Written in clear, poetic prose, Julya Rabinowich crafts a story of a love that overcomes all opposites.

Julya Rabinowich was born in 1970 in St. Petersburg and has lived in Vienna since 1977, where she also studied. She is a writer and columnist who worked for many years as an interpreter. Her novels published with Deuticke include Spaltkopf (2008, winner of the Rauriser Literaturpreis 2009), Herznovelle (2011, nominated for the Prix du Livre Européen), Die Erdfresserin (2012), and Krötenliebe (2016). Her first YA novel, Dazwischen: Ich (2016), received numerous awards including the Friedrich-Gerstäcker-Preis, the Austrian Children’s and Young Adult Book Prize, and the Luchs (awarded by Die Zeit & Radio Bremen). It was followed by Hinter Glas (2019), Dazwischen: Wir (2022), and Der Geruch von Ruß und Rosen (2023). Her latest YA novel, Mo & Moritz, was published in 2026.