Bonnie Greer, the playwright, author and political commentator, has died aged 77, her husband David Hutchins said in a statement to British media. Greer was born in Chicago in 1948 and spent most of her adult life in the United Kingdom, where she became a British citizen and a familiar presence in public debate.
Hutchins said Greer had suffered a brief illness. He described her as “an acclaimed playwright, author, critic, cultural and political commentator” whose intelligence, courage and distinctive voice had contributed to British cultural and public life. He said those close to her would remember her warmth, humour, generosity and ability to bring people together.
Greer and Hutchins married in 1993, seven years after she moved to Britain. The eldest of seven children in a family of Mississippi sharecroppers, Greer studied theatre in Chicago before moving to New York as a young writer. Her interest in creative writing developed during the US civil rights era, after a college professor told her women should not pursue legal careers.
After settling in Britain in 1986, Greer worked mainly in theatre with women and ethnic minorities. She wrote radio plays for the BBC and musicals, and her 1993 play “Munda Negra”, about mental health problems among black women, won the Verity Bargate Award for best play.
Greer also appeared regularly on programmes including “Newsnight” and “Question Time”. She supported Barack Obama, wrote the 2009 memoir and personal musical history “Obama Music”, campaigned against Brexit and opposed Donald Trump’s first term as US president.
Her cultural roles included president of the Bronte Society, chancellor of Kingston upon Thames University, a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and a board member of the Royal Opera House and the London Film School.