A Worm in the Head

Okello Oculi is one of East Africa's foremost and pioneering writers. Born in Uganda, his poetry belongs to the same school as that of Okot p'Bitek and Joseph Brunga. It is a school that seeks to re-assert African cultural heritage with a critique of foreign influences. His voice is both evocative of a receding Africa and a declamatory dialogue with the new Africa. There are three main themes running through this new collection: the ecology of humans, animals and the natural world; Africa's ideological ancestory; and the interaction of political theory and literary enterprise.