Ian Hamilton (critic)
Encyclopedia
Robert Ian Hamilton was a British
literary critic, reviewer, biographer, poet, magazine editor and publisher.
He was born in King's Lynn
, Norfolk
. His parents were Scottish
and had moved to Norfolk in 1936. Hamilton's father died when he was 13. The family moved to Darlington
in 1951 and there at age 17 in sixth form
at school Hamilton produced two issues of his own magazine, which was called The Scorpion. For the second issue he sent a questionnaire to various literary figures in London asking if there was any advice they could give young authors. Around fifty or so replies were received from figures such as Louis Golding
.
After leaving school he did his National Service
in München-Gladbach, Germany
. He then attended Keble College, Oxford
, and within a year started a magazine Tomorrow. The first issues were patchy, but the magazine grew in confidence, publishing an early play by Harold Pinter
in its fourth and final issue.
In 1962 Hamilton started The Review magazine, with Michael Fried, John Fuller
, and Colin Falck
. The Review became the most influential postwar British poetry magazine, publishing a wide variety of writers and both short and long pieces. It ran until its 10th anniversary issue in 1972.
In 1964 The Review published a pamphlet of Hamilton's poems entitled Pretending Not to Sleep. It was one of three pamphlets that made up issue no. 13 of The Review.
In 1965, to make ends meet, Hamilton took a three-day a week job at the Times Literary Supplement, which soon grew to be the position of Poetry and Fiction Editor, a post he held until 1973.
In 1970 Faber and Faber
published The Visit
, a slender book of Hamilton's poems. This was a somewhat reworked and expanded version of the 1964 pamphlet. The thirty-three poems contained in The Visit all reflect Hamilton's concise writing style. Hamilton subsequently spoke about the relationship between the stressful circumstances of his personal life — in particular the mental illness of his wife — and the brevity of the poems. "You had to keep your control however bad things were; you had to be in charge. And I suppose the perfect poem became something that had to contain the maximum amount of control — and of suffering."
In 1974 Hamilton started The New Review, a large format glossy magazine. Its first issue was 100 pages and featured many well-known writers. Again it was influential in literary circles, and encouraged younger writers. But the magazine depended on Arts Council
funding, and when that stopped, four and half years and 50 issues later, it closed.
Hamilton then wrote freelance, including regularly for the New Statesman
.
In 1976 another pamphlet of poems appeared, entitled Returning
. It contained twelve new poems.
After his friend poet Robert Lowell
died in 1977 Hamilton wrote a biography of him which was well-received. Encouraged by that, he began writing a biography and critique of J. D. Salinger
. Famously averse to publicity, Salinger took legal action to prevent the book being published. He was unsuccessful, but by denying Hamilton cooperation, access and the right to quote from his work (including his letters), it originally looked as if any book would be fatally flawed. Hamilton however was undeterred, and was able to incorporate these frustrations into the book, entitled In Search of J.D. Salinger.
From 1984 to 1987 Hamilton presented the BBC
Bookmark television program, featuring many well-known writers.
In 1988 Faber published a new collection of his verse: Fifty Poems. This included the poems previously published in The Visit, together with eleven of the poems from Returning and six new poems. In the preface Hamilton wrote: "Fifty poems in twenty-five years: not much to show for half a lifetime, you might think. And in certain moods, I would agree."
His experience with Salinger became part of Keepers of the Flame in 1992 about the history of literary estates and unofficial biographers. His love of football
led him to write Gazza Agonistes and Gazza Italia in 1993 and 1994, about Paul Gascoigne
's seemingly wasted talent.
He died of cancer
in 2001. His son by his first wife Gisela Dietzel survives him, as do his second wife Ahdaf Soueif
and their two sons, and his partner, Patricia Wheatley, by whom he had a son and daughter.
In 2009 Faber and Faber
published his Collected Poems, with an introduction by Alan Jenkins.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
literary critic, reviewer, biographer, poet, magazine editor and publisher.
He was born in King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. His parents were Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and had moved to Norfolk in 1936. Hamilton's father died when he was 13. The family moved to Darlington
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. It is the main population centre in the borough, with a population of 97,838 as of 2001...
in 1951 and there at age 17 in sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
at school Hamilton produced two issues of his own magazine, which was called The Scorpion. For the second issue he sent a questionnaire to various literary figures in London asking if there was any advice they could give young authors. Around fifty or so replies were received from figures such as Louis Golding
Louis Golding
Louis Golding was a British writer, very famous in his time especially for his novels, though he is now largely neglected; he wrote also short stories, essays, fantasies, travel books and poetry....
.
After leaving school he did his National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in München-Gladbach, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He then attended Keble College, Oxford
Keble College, Oxford
Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...
, and within a year started a magazine Tomorrow. The first issues were patchy, but the magazine grew in confidence, publishing an early play by Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter
Harold Pinter, CH, CBE was a Nobel Prize–winning English playwright and screenwriter. One of the most influential modern British dramatists, his writing career spanned more than 50 years. His best-known plays include The Birthday Party , The Homecoming , and Betrayal , each of which he adapted to...
in its fourth and final issue.
In 1962 Hamilton started The Review magazine, with Michael Fried, John Fuller
John Fuller (poet)
John Fuller is an English poet and author, and Fellow Emeritus at Magdalen College, Oxford.Fuller was born in Ashford, Kent, England, the son of poet and Oxford Professor Roy Fuller, and educated at St Paul's School and New College, Oxford. He began teaching in 1962 at the State University of New...
, and Colin Falck
Colin Falck
Colin Falck is a literary critic and poet. He was associate professor in Modern literature at York College of Pennsylvania....
. The Review became the most influential postwar British poetry magazine, publishing a wide variety of writers and both short and long pieces. It ran until its 10th anniversary issue in 1972.
In 1964 The Review published a pamphlet of Hamilton's poems entitled Pretending Not to Sleep. It was one of three pamphlets that made up issue no. 13 of The Review.
In 1965, to make ends meet, Hamilton took a three-day a week job at the Times Literary Supplement, which soon grew to be the position of Poetry and Fiction Editor, a post he held until 1973.
In 1970 Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber Limited, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing a great deal of poetry and for its former editor T. S. Eliot. Faber has a rich tradition of publishing a wide range of fiction, non fiction, drama, film and music...
published The Visit
The Visit (book)
The Visit is a collection of poems by Ian Hamilton published in 1970 by Faber and Faber. This was a somewhat reworked and expanded version of the 1964 pamphlet. The thirty-three poems contained in the The Visit all reflect Hamilton's concise writing style...
, a slender book of Hamilton's poems. This was a somewhat reworked and expanded version of the 1964 pamphlet. The thirty-three poems contained in The Visit all reflect Hamilton's concise writing style. Hamilton subsequently spoke about the relationship between the stressful circumstances of his personal life — in particular the mental illness of his wife — and the brevity of the poems. "You had to keep your control however bad things were; you had to be in charge. And I suppose the perfect poem became something that had to contain the maximum amount of control — and of suffering."
In 1974 Hamilton started The New Review, a large format glossy magazine. Its first issue was 100 pages and featured many well-known writers. Again it was influential in literary circles, and encouraged younger writers. But the magazine depended on Arts Council
Arts Council of Great Britain
The Arts Council of Great Britain was a non-departmental public body dedicated to the promotion of the fine arts in Great Britain. The Arts Council of Great Britain was divided in 1994 to form the Arts Council of England , the Scottish Arts Council, and the Arts Council of Wales...
funding, and when that stopped, four and half years and 50 issues later, it closed.
Hamilton then wrote freelance, including regularly for the New Statesman
New Statesman
New Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....
.
In 1976 another pamphlet of poems appeared, entitled Returning
Returning
In retail, returning is the process of a customer taking previously purchased merchandise back to the retailer, and in turn, receiving a cash refund, exchange for another item , or a store credit...
. It contained twelve new poems.
After his friend poet Robert Lowell
Robert Lowell
Robert Traill Spence Lowell IV was an American poet, considered the founder of the confessional poetry movement. He was appointed the sixth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress where he served from 1947 until 1948...
died in 1977 Hamilton wrote a biography of him which was well-received. Encouraged by that, he began writing a biography and critique of J. D. Salinger
J. D. Salinger
Jerome David Salinger was an American author, best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, as well as his reclusive nature. His last original published work was in 1965; he gave his last interview in 1980....
. Famously averse to publicity, Salinger took legal action to prevent the book being published. He was unsuccessful, but by denying Hamilton cooperation, access and the right to quote from his work (including his letters), it originally looked as if any book would be fatally flawed. Hamilton however was undeterred, and was able to incorporate these frustrations into the book, entitled In Search of J.D. Salinger.
From 1984 to 1987 Hamilton presented the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Bookmark television program, featuring many well-known writers.
In 1988 Faber published a new collection of his verse: Fifty Poems. This included the poems previously published in The Visit, together with eleven of the poems from Returning and six new poems. In the preface Hamilton wrote: "Fifty poems in twenty-five years: not much to show for half a lifetime, you might think. And in certain moods, I would agree."
His experience with Salinger became part of Keepers of the Flame in 1992 about the history of literary estates and unofficial biographers. His love of football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
led him to write Gazza Agonistes and Gazza Italia in 1993 and 1994, about Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
's seemingly wasted talent.
He died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in 2001. His son by his first wife Gisela Dietzel survives him, as do his second wife Ahdaf Soueif
Ahdaf Soueif
Ahdaf Soueif is an Anglo-Egyptian novelist and political and cultural commentator.-Life and career:Soueif was born in Cairo and educated in Egypt and England...
and their two sons, and his partner, Patricia Wheatley, by whom he had a son and daughter.
In 2009 Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber Limited, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing a great deal of poetry and for its former editor T. S. Eliot. Faber has a rich tradition of publishing a wide range of fiction, non fiction, drama, film and music...
published his Collected Poems, with an introduction by Alan Jenkins.