Una Marson
Broadcaster / Author
Marson was a feminist, activist, poet, a published author, play write (to critical acclaim) and radio host of a program she named Caribbean Voices. Marson was born in Sanz Cruz Jamaica in 1905. She travelled to London in 1932, though lived and worked between London and Jamaica during her lifetime.
Marson was the first Black woman employed by the BBC, she hosted and later produced the radio show Caribbean voices during World War Two. The programme was an important vehicle for Caribbean authors and an avenue for getting Caribbean literature broadcast throughout the world.
Claudia Jones
Journalist / Activist
Jones was a Journalist and Activist. She was born in Port of Spain Trinidad in 1915. She travelled to the USA with her family but was later deported due to her political activities as a feminist and member of the Communist party. Jones settled in the UK where she continued her activism and founded Britain’s first major black newspaper The West Indian Gazette in 1958. Jones organised events with the intention to unify which culminated to the start of the Notting Hill Carnival. Jones is known as the ‘Mother of Caribbean Carnival in Britain’.
Lao She
Writer/ Novelist/ Lecturer
Shu Qingchun, known as Lao She was born in Beijing on the 3rd February 1899, he was one of the most important Chinese authors of the 20th century - well known for his use of Beijing dialect and locations and also for writing about real people and their experiences. Lao She was educated in Beijing and went on to work within the school system. Between 1924 and 1929 he Lectured at the School of Oriental Studies in London (now known as the School of Oriental and African Studies - SOAS University of London).
He wrote his first two novels whilst living in London The Philosophy of Lao Zhang and Zhao Ziyue. Set in Beijing both novels are stories about students. In his novel Mr Ma and Son Lao She vividly illustrates life in London for Chinese people (himself included). However he’s best known for the novel Rickshaw Boy and the play Teahouse.
Lao She also taught in Singapore and America, though settled in China.
Phillis Wheatley
Poet
Wheatley was a poet, although she lived in America she toured the UK to great acclaim. She was born in 1753 in West Africa, sold into slavery and taken to North America and where she was bought by the Wheatley family. They taught her how to read and write and also encouraged her poetry talent. Wheatley travelled to London in 1773, with her owners son. Her book Poems on various subjects, Religious and Moral was published in London the same year - making her the first ever published African American female poet.
Leslie Bowyer Yin (Charteris)
Writer
Chateris was an author and scriptwriter who is best known for creating the hugely popular series The Saint. The series documented the adventures of the main character Simon Templar.
Chateris was born in 1907 in Singapore, his father was Chinese, his mother was English. He began his education in England in 1919 (he later went to live in the US before later returning to the UK). Chateris started writing when he was a child he created his own magazine complete with articles, short stories, poems and serials. There were nearly 100 The Saint novels - although Chateris did not write all of them he remained the custodian.
Fanny Eaton
Artist’s Model
Eaton was a *Pre-Raphaelite artist’s model. Although her modelling career was short it was impactful and important as Ethnic Minorities were not viewed as the ‘accepted standard’ of beauty. Eaton was born in 1835 in St Andrews Jamaica, she came to England with her mother in the 1840's. She's known to have lived on the Isle of Wight, and also Hammersmith and Fulham. Eaton’s depicted in Simeon Solomon’s painting Mother of Moses and Dante Gabriel Rossetti The Beloved, she also modelled for other artists including John Millais.
*Pre-Raphaelite refers to painters who imitated the work of Italian artists before the time of Raphael.
John Edmonstone
Taxidermist
Edmonstone was born into slavery in 1793 in present day Guyana South America. He was taught taxidermy by the man who'd bought him. When freed Edmonstone travelled to Scotland where he taught taxidermy to students at the University of Edinburgh. One of his students was Charles Darwin who, as a result of his interaction with Edmonstone, became an anti-slavery activist.
Sara Forbes Bonetta
Queen Victoria’s goddaughter
Sara Forbes Bonetta was born in west Africa in 1843 into a prominent family, her birth name was either Aina or Ina. She became Queen Victoria’s goddaughters. When she was about five years old Bonetta was held captive by King Ghezo of Dahomey after her parents were killed during an invasion.
Royal Navy Captain Frederick E Forbes arrived in West Africa in 1850 to meet with King Ghezo. When they exchanged the customary gifts, the King offered Aina as a gift for Queen Victoria. Captain Forbes agreed to take Aina, he renamed her Sara Forbes Bonetta after himself and the ship he captained HMS Bonetta.
Queen Victoria took a shine to Bonetta so became her godmother. Bonetta wasn’t suited to the English weather and became unwell so was sent to Sierra Leone’s more favourable climate where she was educated for four years before returning to the UK at age twelve.
Bonetta was married off to the wealthy Nigerian businessman Captain James Davis when she was nineteen, they had three children. one boy and two girls. They named one of their daughters Victoria - after her godmother.