Billie Holiday’s hit was the fruit of another

‘As wonderful as Billie Holiday was, she didn’t write Strange Fruit.’ Photograph: Pictorial Press Ltd/Alamy

Dr Richard J Goy (Letters, 23 September) mentions Billie Holiday, and asks “Who would dare to write Strange Fruit today?” As wonderful as Holiday was, she didn’t write Strange Fruit. It was written by Abel Meeropol, a Jewish schoolteacher and member of the American Communist party.
Andrea Weiss
New York City, US

• Ironic that on the day the Guardian highlighted the plight of public service broadcasters (‘A losing battle’: will UK public service broadcasters survive amid US onslaught?, 19 September), all seven of the films recommended in the paper’s What’s On section were available only via streaming platforms.
John Lovelock
Bristol