Mark Behr facts for kids

Mark Behr (born October 19, 1963 – died November 27, 2015) was a writer born in Tanzania. He grew up in South Africa. He was a professor of English literature and creative writing at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. He also taught at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Early Life

Mark Behr was born into a farming family in Tanzania. This was in the district of Oljorro, Arusha Region. In 1964, the government took over farms owned by white families. This was part of a policy called Ujamaa. After this, his family moved to South Africa.

In South Africa, his family identified as Afrikaners. This meant they spoke the Afrikaans language. The Behr children went to Afrikaans schools. They also attended the conservative Dutch Reformed church.

Mark's father became a game ranger. He worked in the game parks of KwaZulu-Natal. Mark spent his early childhood there. From ages ten to twelve, he attended the Drakensberg Boys' Choir School. This was a private music school in the Drakensberg Mountains.

After finishing high school, Mark joined the South African Defence Force. Like many young white South African men, he had to serve in the military. He became a junior officer in the Marine Corps. He served during a conflict in Angola.

Academic Study and Development

After leaving the military, Mark Behr attended Stellenbosch University. This was in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. During his time there (1985–1989), his creative writing began to be published. Some of his poems appeared in the university's magazine.

While a student, Mark worked for the South African government at the time. His job was to keep an eye on students. This was to prevent any political unrest on university campuses.

Mark earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. His main subjects were English and Politics. He then continued his studies in Politics. After working with a group called IDASA, he became a researcher and lecturer. This was at the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo, Norway. He began to travel between Europe, South Africa, and the United States.

He later studied at the University of Notre Dame in the United States. He earned master's degrees there. He studied International Peace Studies in 1993. He also earned degrees in Fiction Writing in 1998 and English Literature in 2000.

Writing and Awards

Mark Behr's first novel was The Smell of Apples. It was first published in Afrikaans in 1993. The English version came out in 1995. This book won many important awards. These included the M-Net Award, a top literary prize in South Africa. It also won the Eugene Marais and CNA Debut Literary Awards. In the United Kingdom, it won the Betty Trask Award for the best first novel in 1996. The book was also considered for other major awards. In 1997, it received the Art Seidenbaum Award from the Los Angeles Times.

The success of this book led Mark Behr to speak publicly about his past. In 1996, at a conference in Cape Town, he talked about his time in the military. He also spoke about his role working for the government while he was a student.

In 2000, his second novel, Embrace, was published. This book received different opinions from critics. Some praised it for its wide scope and depth. Others found it too long or anxious. It was short-listed for The Sunday Times Award in South Africa. It was also considered for the Encore Award in the United Kingdom.

At the end of 2009, Mark Behr published his third novel, Kings of the Water. Critics praised this book. Kate Saunders in The Times called it "Superbly written, thoughtful and unflinching." She noted its poetic use of the Afrikaans language. Novelist Christopher Hope reviewed it for The Guardian. He called it "one of the most moving to come out of South Africa in many years."

Mark Behr also wrote short stories and essays. His short story "Die Boer en die Swaan" appeared in 1993. "Cape Town, My Love" was published in 2006. Another essay, "Socrates, Miss Celie and Me," came out in 2006. In 2007, the journal The Truth About the Fact published "People Like Us." This was part of a lecture he gave in Canada. In 2009, his short story "Boy" was published in an international collection. Mark Behr's work has been translated into ten languages.

Mark Behr passed away on November 27, 2015, in Johannesburg.

Themes and Influences

Mark Behr's writings often explored how people's identities are shaped. He looked at the impact of language, national pride, and military life. These themes are also seen in the works of other South African writers of his time. These include Damon Galgut and Marlene van Niekerk.

His personal experiences strongly influenced his writing. He wrote about the early influence of The Color Purple by Alice Walker. You can also find traces of influence from South African poets like Breyten Breytenbach and Antjie Krog. Important ideas in Behr's writing also came from the works of Antonio Gramsci, Judith Butler, and Richard Rorty.

Novels

Mark Behr wrote three novels:

• The Smell of Apples
• Embrace
• Kings of the Water

He published novels, short stories, and essays. His work often focused on important topics. These included violence, racism, national pride, military life, and colonialism. Mark Behr's books have been translated widely. He received awards from the Los Angeles Times, the British Society of Authors, and the Academy of Science of South Africa. He regularly traveled between the United States and South Africa.