Samad Behrangi was born in July 1939 in Charandab, a neighbourhood in the south of Tabriz. (Tabriz is a city situated in the north west of Iran, and is the capital of the Iranian province of East Azarbaijan).
He spent his childhood growing up in a working class family. In 1957, he graduated from the teachers training academy and began his career, teaching in the villages of Azerbaijan. He spent eleven years teaching children in various villages, including Mamghan, Ghadejahan, Azarshahr, Ghoghan and Akhirjan.
On September 8, 1968, at the age of 29, Behrangi was found dead, drowned in the river Aras that defines the border between Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. It became public knowledge that Samad was in fact drowned by agents of the Shah's regime. Despite this atrocity, Samad's ideas and passions have continued to exist in the hearts and the minds of subsequent generations through the writings he has left us.
Behrangi, in his home country is a national phenomenon and is affectionately and popularly known as “Moalleme todeha”- the teacher of the masses. In literary circles, he is recognised and honoured as the Maxim Gorky of Iran. On the international level he is recognised in many countries for his story the Little Black Fish. His works have been translated and distributed in many languages.
Samad Behrangi, filled his writings with hope, sensitivity and passion. Using everyday familiar characters to portray stories with dialogue imbued with truths, sensibilities and wisdom that only the down trodden can utter. He expressed his passion for the people and the heroic characters that fight for justice. He scorned with deep hatred the exploiters and their injustice in his works. Although Behrangi had a short life but the wealth of writings he left behind is read, studied and discussed more today than ever before.
Samad's children's stories rank amongst the best of children's literature and include such stories as:
One Apricot, A Thousand Apricots,
Ouldooz and the Crows,
Ouldooz and the Talking Doll,
Koroglu and the Bold Hamzeh,
24 hours, in Sleep and Awakening,
The Beetroot Seller Boy,
Talkhon, and
The Myth of Affection.
These stories are read and re-read to children every night, stirring their imagination, informing them of the realities of life, strengthening their faith in a brighter future and cultivating humanity, passion and affection for good and lightness against evil and darkness.
Besides his children's stories Behranghi wrote many significant essays on history, education and social criticism. Analysis of problems of education in Iran is a collection of articles on education published as a book. His other articles and essays have been also published as a collection. He also tried tirelessly to gather the oral history of people of Azarbaijan. These are published in three volumes and are known as Notes on Folklore.
Samad also translated works of many contemporary Farsi speaking poets into Azeri language, demonstrating a rare command of his mother tongue. The language of Azeri was banned from education and use in publications during the rule of the Shah and continues to be denied to its people by the present rulers of Iran. Azeri's constitute a nation of about 26 million in Iran.
