Okot p’Bitek (born Jekeri Okot p’Bitek) is one of the most important early writers in postcolonial Africa whose legacy has endured in large part because of his highly satirical poetry and famous commitment to traditional African culture, both exemplified by his best-known poem Song of Lawino (1966). A multi-talented and notoriously exuberant man, Okot’s many designations in his short lifetime included poet, essayist, novelist, anthropologist, lawyer, footballer, dancer, musician, professor, cultural leader, social critic, and father, no doubt among many others. Born June 9, 1931, in Gulu, Uganda, Okot inherited many of his gifts from talented parents who exposed him to the traditional arts of the Acholi (the primary ethnic group of Northern Uganda, sometimes spelled “Acoli”) and encouraged his obvious gifts. His father, Opii Bitek, and mother, Lacwaa, owned a farm in Gulu and,...
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Citation: Leman, Peter. "Okot p'Bitek". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 25 June 2010 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=3452, accessed 09 June 2026.]
