Song of Lawino (EAEP)

Okot p'Bitek's iconic epic poem, Song of Lawino, is a powerful, witty lament from an African woman whose husband, Ocol, has abandoned her for an educated, Westernized co-wife. Lawino eloquently defends traditional Acholi culture against the perceived self-hatred and cultural betrayal of the new African elite. Written in a vibrant, colloquial idiom, the poem delivers a biting, yet compassionate, satire on the effects of colonialism and the devastating conflict between African heritage and imposed modernity. The work remains a foundational text in post-colonial African literature.