Chicago-born playwright and author Bonnie Greer has died at the age of 77, her husband David Hutchins announced on Wednesday in a statement to British media. Greer, who first plied her trade in New York, spent most of her adult life in the UK, where she became a familiar face in British political discourse.

Hutchins hailed his late wife as "an acclaimed playwright, author, critic, cultural and political commentator whose intelligence, courage and distinctive voice made an enduring contribution to British cultural and public life." He said Greer succumbed to a brief illness. Those closest to her, he added, would remember her warmth, humor, generosity and extraordinary ability to bring people together. "To me, she was my partner, confidante and inspiration, and I feel profoundly privileged to have shared my life with her," Hutchins said. The pair married in 1993, seven years after Greer emigrated.

Greer was born in Chicago in 1948, the eldest of seven children from a family of Mississippi sharecroppers. Her familial exposure to the UK predated even her birth — her father Ben was stationed in Britain during World War II and had taken part in the D-Day landings. She gravitated towards creative writing amid the civil rights movement in the US after a college professor told her he did not believe women should pursue a legal career. Having studied theater in Chicago, she moved to New York as a young aspiring writer.

Greer settled in the UK in 1986 and worked mainly in theater with women and ethnic minorities. She acquired British citizenship in 1997 and wrote a series of successful radio plays aired on the BBC and musicals. Her 1993 play "Munda Negra," exploring mental health problems among black women, won the Verity Bargate Award for best play. Greer also became a frequent contributor to political and social debate in Britain, frequently appearing on topical shows like "Newsnight" and "Question Time."

Greer was a prominent supporter of Barack Obama and wrote a memoir and personal musical history in 2009 called "Obama Music." She also campaigned against the UK's exit from the EU, Brexit, and Donald Trump's first term as US president at around the same time. She held a series of cultural roles, including being president of the Bronte Society, chancellor of Kingston upon Thames University in London, a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and a board member of the Royal Opera House and the London Film School.

Source: www.dw.com