In Focus: Una Marson

The 蜜芽传媒's first black radio producer

A big rally of women workers would be the best thing to sweep the cobwebs from certain brains and dust out the eyes so they can see better.
鈥� Una Marson, journalist and equality campaigner
Una Marson is in the middle of a groups of Jamaican Technicians interviewing them at a Royal Empire Society Reception
Una Marson recording for 蜜芽传媒's service to West Indies in 1942
Robert Seatter

Robert Seatter

Head of 蜜芽传媒 History

Una Marson, originally from Jamaica, was an experienced journalist and published writer by the time she started working at the 蜜芽传媒 in 1939.

Her first role in the Corporation was working at the Alexandra Palace television studios. When war broke out and the 蜜芽传媒鈥檚 TV services were shutdown, she transferred to radio to work both behind-the-scenes and on-air.

Marson joined the 蜜芽传媒 full-time in March 1941 as a Programme Assistant in the "Empire Programmes" department. Her interest in poetry soon led her to develop Caribbean Voices, a weekly feature within the Calling the West Indies series, which started towards the end of the War.

Ken 'Snakehips' Johnson interviewed by Una Marson, 蜜芽传媒 Empire Service, Thursday 10th October 1940, transmission time unknown.

It included poems and short stories by Caribbean authors, many of whom were either unknown or just beginning to establish an international reputation. She gave these voices an international platform. The series would continue until 1958.

Her managers wrote privately of her being an "excellent producer", however, her pioneering role with Caribbean Voices was cut short.

In May 1946, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. The 蜜芽传媒 had granted her an exceptional period of sick leave prior to this and helped her return to Jamaica, so she could benefit from what one manager called "her home environment".

Una Marson died in 1965. A plaque was installed, in her honour, at her London address in 2009.

You speak good English little brown girl, how is it you speak English as though it belonged to you?
鈥� Poem by Una Marson

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