"Peekay" is the name of the main character in the Bryce Courtenay novels The Power of One and its sequel Tandia. Peekay was born in South Africa in the 1930s. He was sent to a Afrikaans Boarding School, where he was tormented by his elder peers and teachers because he was English (the English fought against the Boers during the War). The Afrikaner students constantly tortured and mocked Peekay, going so far as to urinate on him and kill his pet chicken. They gave him the nickname "Pisskop," ("Piss", or "pee" head) which would later turn into Peekay (a friendlier nickname that stood for Pisskop given to him by a salesman from a general store). While the movie (briefly) continues the use of the "Pisskop" origin, his name is originally Peter Phillip Kenneth Keith (PPKK - shortened to PK, then to Peekay).