Saint Lucian writer, librarian, and pastor John Robert Lee was born in 1948. His grandfathers were both Barbadian, and his parents were first-generation Saint Lucians. He attended Anglican schools as a child, then the Catholic Saint Mary’s College. While working at the Royal Bank of Canada, he became part of the St. Lucia Arts Guild theater company, founded by Derek Walcott, his twin brother Roderick, and their friends. He continued his education at the University of the West Indies’ Cave Hill Campus in Barbados, where he studied liberal arts and continued to perform theater.
In 1974, Lee returned home and began teaching at Saint Mary’s. His first collection of poetry, Vocation, was published the following year. He worked as a radio producer and announcer and a cultural officer before becoming a librarian. In these years, the American Black Power movement, the progressive 1960s, and postcolonial theory were major influences on Caribbean self-perception, and figures like Kamau Braithwaite and Derek Walcott had begun to shape a radical arts scene. Lee was part of the younger element of this flourishing world, a colleague of writers such as Kendel Hippolyte and Jane King.
Lee is the author of over 20 poetry books and has been widely anthologized in works including The Penguin Book of Caribbean Verse in English, The Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse, and The Faber Book of Contemporary Caribbean Short Stories. In addition to poetry, he writes short stories, essays, reviews, and columns. He has also edited multiple key collections of St. Lucian literature and criticism. He has been involved in projects where his librarianship intersects with his literary expertise, such as in his work with St. Lucia Oral History. His religious journey ultimately led him to the Baptist faith, and he has been an elder and pastor at his church for over 40 years.
Lee was awarded the Saint Lucia Medal of Merit (Gold) for his contribution to Saint Lucian culture. The poet Lorna Goodison has called him “a singular voice in Caribbean Literature.” His latest book, After Poems, Psalms, was published by Peepal Tree Press in August of 2025.
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More John Robert Lee
Text: Read three poems by Lee at Small Axe
Video: Lee reads his poem "Lament for Ti Congo" on Calabash TV
Text: Read Lee's "Just What Is" and an interview with the poet at Arts Etc. Barbados
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Photo by Davina Lee.