Mark Behr (1963-2015), born in Tanzania and raised in South Africa, was a talented author who addressed race, gender, and militarization within contemporary authoritarian cultures.

His first novel, The Smell of Apples, was published in Afrikaans in 1993 while he was a student of the Kroc Institute, and in English in 1995. He has since published two more award-winning novels, Embrace and Kings of the Water. His work has been awarded prizes in Africa, Europe, and the United States, and has been translated into 10 languages.

Mark was professor of English Literature and Creative Writing at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. He previously taught at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, the College of Sante Fe, New Mexico, the University of New Mexico and the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He also researched and taught several times over the years at the Peace Research Institute of Oslo, Norway (PRIO).