KINGSTON, Jamaica— Culture minister Olivia Grange has paid tribute to veteran journalist, playwright and author Barbara Joy Gloudon who died Wednesday evening, at the age of 87.

“Barbara Gloudon was in a special class, distinguished by the varied contributions she made to national life. A woman of many talents,” Grange said.

“She was a journalist of renown who broke the glass ceiling at the Gleaner Company when she became the first woman to be appointed the editor of the Gleaner and the Star publications. She had started her career in journalism in 1953 as a reporter at the Gleaner Company and along the way gained fame as the writer of a popular column, ‘Stellah Seh’, in the Star newspaper. I was inspired by ‘Stellah Seh’ and rarely missed the column,” the minister added.

Gloudon’s journalistic work was recognised with awards for journalism in 1964 and 1968. In 1975, she was awarded the Order of Distinction, (Commander Class) for services to journalism.

“Her journalism career later took her to RJR94 FM where she became host of the radio talk-show, Hotline, from the late 1980s until 2015,” Grange continued.

“The sister of musicologist Bunny Goodison and Poet Lorna Goodison, Barbara was a critically acclaimed playwright with the Little Theatre Movement (LTM), and in one of my own agencies, the Institute of Jamaica, she served on the council for many years and was later honoured by that body which named her a Fellow of the Institute of Jamaica in 2012,” she added.

Gloudon’s sojourn into theatre resulted from an invitation from Greta Fowler and her husband Henry, who founded the Little Theatre Movement in 1969.

She was invited to write a script for the National Pantomime and her first work was Moonshine Anancy, which featured Louise Bennett as ‘Miss Corpie’, Ranny Williams as “Bredda Soul” and Eric Coverley as ‘Moon Leader’. Moonshine Anancy marked a transition to a more indigenous form of theatre, where Jamaicans could relate to Jamaican characters and local themes. She followed up with no less than 30 Pantomime scripts. Jamaican theatre was transformed through her work.

“She received further National Honours when the Order of Jamaica was conferred on her in 1992. She also received the Gleaner Honour Award for Contribution to Arts and Culture in 2006, and she was inducted into the Press Association of Jamaica’s Hall of Fame in 2016,” the minister said.

“A giant has passed. Barbara Gloudon was awesome. Truly a phenomenal Jamaican woman. She was a person of strength and extraordinary talent. Her passing will leave a vacuum but her body of work in theatre, the arts and in journalism will serve to guide generations yet unborn. I offer my sincere condolences to her family, particularly to her children, Lisa, Anya and Jason,” Grange stated.