Cornerstone No. 190, page 19
it. Linklater’s work
(1939) superficially deals with treachery and loyalty
BUT carries a strong indictment of Britain’s and France’s desertion of Czecho-
slovakia under the pretence of appeasement. Further, his novel
(1937) found its seeds in his experiences during prohibition in the USA and
points a veiled accusing finger at the authorities who failed to acknowledge the
role played by prohibition in the rise in gangster activities.
Not all of Eric Linklater’s works were of such a serious nature. In a more
light-hearted vein was
(1946), the story of a none too brave
Italian soldier (influence of E.L.’s war service 1944/45). This was made into a
successful film in 1949, with Peter Ustinov in the title role. The next children’s
novels demonstrate our subject’s talent for entertaining young minds –
(1944),
(1949) and
(1958). The first of this trio won him the Carnegie Medal. Altogether
Linklater wrote 23 novels, 3 volumes of stories, 2 books of verse, 10 plays, 3
autobiographies plus several essays and various histories – truly the trail of a
successful literary man. Not so successful was his venture into politics. Eric
Linklater was a Scottish nationalist. He stood for the National Party of Scotland
at the East Fife by-election of 1933 but polled less than 4% of the vote. Thus
ended his political ‘career’ and he soon lost faith in the National Party. This
particular experience led Linklater to write
(1934) a novel in
which E.L. describes a fictitious by-election. In this work he creates a prickly
character named Beaty Bracken and has her flush the Union Jack down the
toilet (would a Scottish nationalist do such a thing….). Unfortunately Beaty was
quite transparently based on a real national activist, one Wendy Wood, who
sued Linklater for libel. The case was settled out of court.
On a happier front GS 67 married Majorie MacIntyre who hailed from Edin-
burgh. Their union was to produce two sons and two daughters. Academic
honours came in the form of rector of Aberdeen University (1945–48), an
honorary degree therefrom in 1949, a CBE in 1954, the appointment as Deputy
Lieutenant of Ross and Cromarty (1968–1973) and the fellowship of the Royal
Society of Edinburgh in 1971. Eric Robert Russell Linklater died on November
7th 1974, in Aberdeen and now lies in Harray on Mainland, Orkney.
Deadline for the next edition of Cornerstone
11 th March 2018