Calling Una Marson - by June Sarpong & Jennifer Obidike (Hardcover)

About the Book

The groundbreaking story of the BBC's first Black woman broadcaster -- finally brought to light.

Book Synopsis

The groundbreaking story of the BBC's first Black woman broadcaster -- finally brought to light.

Una Marson was unstoppable--a poet whose words lit up hearts, a broadcaster who made history in 1941 as the first Black woman on the BBC, and an activist who fought fiercely for racial and gender equality. She brought Caribbean culture to the global stage, challenged prejudice head-on, and dared to imagine a better world. Yet history nearly erased her.

From the streets of 1920s Kingston, Jamaica, to the heart of British broadcasting during World War II, Una's journey was one of resilience, ambition, and brilliance. She shared ideas with George Orwell, held her ground with T.S. Eliot, and used her voice to amplify the silenced while navigating a world unprepared for her genius.

Calling Una Marson restores this trailblazing woman to her rightful place in history. Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, it celebrates her dazzling, difficult life and the legacy of courage, creativity, and justice she left behind.

Review Quotes

'It's wonderful that Una Marson's groundbreaking talent is being finally celebrated in all its glory. This is an inspiring and long-overdue tribute to a pioneer on who's shoulders we now stand.'

-- Baroness Floella Benjamin, broadcaster and campaigner

'An extraordinary story about an extraordinary woman. Una Marson broke barriers, and this book ensures her name will never be forgotten.'

-- Sir Trevor McDonald, broadcaster

'Una Marson's story is an essential piece of history that demands to be known. This book reclaims the voice of a trailblazer who shaped the world we live in today.'

-- David Olusoga, historian and author of Black and British

About the Author

June Sarpong OBE is one of the most recognisable British television presenters and broadcasters, as well as being a prominent activist, having co-founded the WIE Network (Women: Inspiration and Enterprise) and the DNA (Decide Now Act) summit. In 2019, she was appointed the first ever Director of Creative Diversity at the BBC.

Jennifer Obidike is an American ghost-writer and co-writer who has been living in London for more than a decade. She has worked with Penguin Random House and HarperCollins and runs a freelance editorial service called Let Me Read For You, where she offers structural editing on non-fiction and fiction, and coaches women to write first drafts of books that have been brewing in their minds for years.