Grace Ogot
Encyclopedia
Grace Ogot is a Kenyan author, nurse, journalist, politician and diplomat.
Ogot was born Grace Emily Akinyi in Asembo
, in the district of Nyanza
. She trained as a nurse in Uganda
and in England
. She has worked as a midwife, a tutor, as journalist, as a BBC
Overseas Service broadcaster, and in a managerial capacity for the Air India Corporation of East Africa. In 1984 she became one of only a handful of women to serve as a Member of Parliament and the only woman assistant minister in the cabinet of then President Daniel arap Moi
. Ogot has since held various Ambassadorial posts, representing her country at the United Nations
and UNESCO
. Ogot was a founding member of the Writers' Association of Kenya.
, a Luo from Gem Location, in 1959, and is the mother of four children.
Grace Ogot can be said to be one of Africa
's finest writers. Her writing style is splendid in its evocation of vivid imagery; she captures the formalities of traditional African interpersonal exchanges, governed by protocol and symbolism.
Many of her stories are set against the scenic background of Lake Victoria
and the traditions of the Luo people. Her prose is evocative of traditional folklore
– such as in The Strange Bride, a novel about a mystical and provocative female character in ancient Luoland. Grace Ogot also tackles issues of emigration – as is the case in The Promised Land, a novel set in the 1930s, whereby her main protagonists emigrate from Nyanza to northern Tanzania
, in search of fertile land and wealth. The Graduate is also a novel about the complexities of emigration; in it, the male protagonist returns from the United States to Kenya, after completing his studies. Many of the short stories in Land Without Thunder are set in ancient Luoland; Ogot's descriptions, literary tools, and storylines offer a valuable insight into Luo culture in pre-colonial East Africa
. Ogot has published works in both English and Luo – some of her works were first published in the Dholuo language.
She was interviewed in 1974 by Lee Nichols for a Voice of America
radio broadcast that was aired between 1975-1979 (Voice of America radio series Conversations with African writers, no. 23). The Library of Congress has a copy of the broadcast tape and the unedited original interview. The broadcast transcript appears in the book Conversations with African Writers (Washington, D.C.: Voice of America, 1981), p. 207-216.
Ogot was born Grace Emily Akinyi in Asembo
Asembo
Asembo is a village in Kenya's Nyanza Province. It lies on Lake Victoria, close to the Winam Gulf. A small road connects it to the C28 highway. The bay, Asembo Bay shares the name of the town and was once a significant port. The Asembo Bay Life Center is active in the area with humanitarian...
, in the district of Nyanza
Nyanza
Nyanza may refer to:*Nyanza, Rwanda**Nyanza District, the district surrounding Nyanza, Rwanda*Nyanza Province, Kenya*Nyanza Lac, Burundi*Nyanza, the Bantu word for lake, in particular:**Lake Albert **Lake Edward...
. She trained as a nurse in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. She has worked as a midwife, a tutor, as journalist, as a BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Overseas Service broadcaster, and in a managerial capacity for the Air India Corporation of East Africa. In 1984 she became one of only a handful of women to serve as a Member of Parliament and the only woman assistant minister in the cabinet of then President Daniel arap Moi
Daniel arap Moi
Daniel Toroitich arap Moi was the President of Kenya from 1978 until 2002.Daniel arap Moi is popularly known to Kenyans as 'Nyayo', a Swahili word for 'footsteps'...
. Ogot has since held various Ambassadorial posts, representing her country at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. Ogot was a founding member of the Writers' Association of Kenya.
Personal Life
She married the historian Professor Bethwell Allan OgotBethwell Allan Ogot
Dr Bethwell Allan Ogot — known as B.A. Ogot — is a noted Kenyan and Luo historian. He is currently the Chancellor of Moi University...
, a Luo from Gem Location, in 1959, and is the mother of four children.
Writin Career
Grace Ogot's first book was Land Without Thunder, a book of short stories. Her first novel was The Promised Land. Her other works include: The Strange Bride, The Graduate, The Other Woman and The Island of Tears.Grace Ogot can be said to be one of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
's finest writers. Her writing style is splendid in its evocation of vivid imagery; she captures the formalities of traditional African interpersonal exchanges, governed by protocol and symbolism.
Many of her stories are set against the scenic background of Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
and the traditions of the Luo people. Her prose is evocative of traditional folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
– such as in The Strange Bride, a novel about a mystical and provocative female character in ancient Luoland. Grace Ogot also tackles issues of emigration – as is the case in The Promised Land, a novel set in the 1930s, whereby her main protagonists emigrate from Nyanza to northern Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, in search of fertile land and wealth. The Graduate is also a novel about the complexities of emigration; in it, the male protagonist returns from the United States to Kenya, after completing his studies. Many of the short stories in Land Without Thunder are set in ancient Luoland; Ogot's descriptions, literary tools, and storylines offer a valuable insight into Luo culture in pre-colonial East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. Ogot has published works in both English and Luo – some of her works were first published in the Dholuo language.
She was interviewed in 1974 by Lee Nichols for a Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
radio broadcast that was aired between 1975-1979 (Voice of America radio series Conversations with African writers, no. 23). The Library of Congress has a copy of the broadcast tape and the unedited original interview. The broadcast transcript appears in the book Conversations with African Writers (Washington, D.C.: Voice of America, 1981), p. 207-216.
Publications
From the collection of the Library of Congress, Washington, DC:- Aloo kod Apul-Apul (1981) in Luo.
- Ber wat (1981) in Luo.
- The graduate (1980)
- The island of tears (1980)
- Land without thunder; short stories (1968)
- Miaha (1983) in Luo; translated as The strange bride by Okoth Okombo (1989) ISBN 996646865X
- The other woman: selected short stories (1976)
- The Promised Land: a novel (1966)
- The strange bride translated from Dholuo by Okoth Okombo.