I only know Bonnie Greer from a very small part of her work, namely as a figure in BBC art review panels such as Mark Lawson's Late Review, in the 1990 and 2000s. She wrote novels and plays and did so much more, but (I am ashamed to say), I know little about these other things.
I have fond memories of her speaking as a critic. Always with cheerful, unassuming authority; always grounded in her concrete experience as a reader or viewer. It was a joy to listen to her ruthless assessments of the pieces under review: often utterly wrong, always witty, fresh and interesting.
She died on Tuesday. May her memory be a blessing.
Bonnie Greer, (16 Nov 1948 – 15 Sept 2026).
A clip from #LateReview in September 2000:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAW109IsasY
A reflection by #ZoeWilliams in the Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/sep/16/newsnights-kindest-critic-bonnie-greer-was-always-effortlessly-in-command
