John Joseph Maria Figueroa was a Jamaican poet and educator.
13 Facts About John Figueroa
1.
2.
John Figueroa played a significant role in the development of Anglophone Caribbean literature both as a poet and an anthologist.
3.
John Figueroa contributed to the development of the University College of the West Indies as an early member of staff, and had a parallel career as a broadcaster, working for various media organizations including the BBC.
4.
John Figueroa taught in Jamaica, Britain, the United States, Nigeria and Puerto Rico.
5.
John Figueroa was educated at St George's College, and won a scholarship to attend the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, graduating in 1942.
6.
John Figueroa then taught at St George's College and at Wolmer's School in Jamaica.
7.
John Figueroa subsequently taught in London schools, and spent six years as an English and philosophy lecturer at the Institute of Education.
Related searches
Henry Swanzy 8.
John Figueroa contributed criticism, stories and poetry to the BBC's Caribbean Voices radio programme produced by Henry Swanzy.
9.
In Jamaica John Figueroa became the first West Indian to be appointed to a chair at the University College of the West Indies, and the first Dean of the Faculty of Education.
10.
John Figueroa was the first general editor of the Heinemann Caribbean Writers Series.
11.
John Figueroa played an important role in the development of Caribbean studies as a founder member of the Caribbean Studies Association and the Society for Caribbean Studies.
12.
John Figueroa insisted that drums were not the only Caribbean musical instrument and championed Derek Walcott's relationship to the classical and European literary tradition.
13.
John Figueroa's papers were donated by his daughter to the University of the West Indies at Mona and are housed in two collections: one at the UWI Archive, the other at the West Indies Collection at the Library.