Una Marson
Jamaicans You Now Know
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Una Marson (1905-1965)
Jamaican writer, journalist, and editor.
In 1928, Una Marson founded her own publication, The Cosmopolitan, making her the first woman to edit and publish her own magazine in Jamaica. Marson was interested in writing about more than “women’s work” and advocated for women’s involvement in politics and the workforce.
She self-published two books of poetry (Tropic Reveries and Heights and Depths) and wrote a play (At What a Price) before moving to London to find a larger audience. She lived between Jamaica and England while her plays performed (including London Calling and Pocomania), wrote more books of poetry (Moth and Star and Toward the Stars), and contributed to politics and social issues by writing for newspapers. She promoted national literature in Jamaica, created clubs for reading, writing, and drama, and a fund for lower-class children’s education.
In the UK, Marson publicly campaigned against the colour bar, and in 1941 was the first black woman to work at the BBC. In the 1940s she produced the BBC program Caribbean Voices, highlighting Caribbean literary artists.
The details of the last two decades of her life are limited.
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