Samad Beh-Rang

Samad Beh-Rang (Behrangi) is a writer from Azerbaijan, Iran. Besides teaching in remote villages and collecting epic and folk tales of Azerbaijan that had been passed along through generations by oral tradition, he wrote several stories for children and many articles on education. The nature of his writings with their metaphoric allusions to dictatorship and a yearning to equality, freedom and justice, have shed light on countless socio-economic problems, making them universal. However, Beh-Rang's works are very special in a sense that they not only address social problems, but they also offer solutions for them.

The Little Black Fish is his masterpiece. Younger readers learn how to deal with such issues as bullying, discrimination, violence and other day-to-day problems they might face, they are encouraged to move on and make connections with the right group of individuals in an effort to face those issues collectively. Adult readers however, see a clear path to freedom and justice, no matter how high the stakes.

Beh-Rang was arrested at the age of 29 and a short while later his body was found in the Araz River. This fate is quite ironic in the eyes of those who have read The Little Black Fish. His fate, amazingly intertwined with that of his creation, made him a legend, proving that no matter how powerful the enemy, it lacks intelligence and sound judgment.