Edwin Morgan, First Scots Makar, dies

Thursday 19th I arrive at the Edinburgh International Book Festival for the launch of Book Nation, a new organisation to bring together book festivals, bookshops and other book interests in Scotland to celebrate and promote Scotland’s significant position in the world of literature.

It was also the day Edwin Morgan died.

Celebrating literature on this day was not inappropriate. Only last evening the third Edwin Morgan International Poetry Prize was awarded to A B Jackson.

Commenting on the sad news of the death of Edwin Morgan, Nick Barley, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival said`; ‘As well as being one of the greatest British poets of the last 50 years, Morgan was also the last link to a great generation of Scottish writers that included Sorley MacLean, Norman MacCaig and Hugh MacDiarmid.

‘His work transcended genres, was constantly challenging and inspiring, and encapsulated all that is great about Scottish poetry and writing.  His influence will continue to be felt for years to come as his words echo in the work of so many contemporary writers’.

Edwin Morgan was born in Glasgow in 1920. On speaking about the city he once said ‘I was born in Glasgow and have lived most of my life there and whatever image the city has to the outside world, to me it underlies and pervades my feeling at a deep level of identification and sympathy’.

Following the second World War, which he had spent in the Royal Army Medical Corps, Morgan returned to the city to complete his studies at the University of Glasgow. He later taught English at that University for more than 30 years, before retiring in 1980.

In 2003 the Saltire Society presented a lifetime achievement award jointly to Edwin Morgan and novelist Robin Jenkins who lived in Toward until his death in 2005.

Morgan was Glasgow’s inaugural poet laureate and in 2004 was appointed first Scots Makar.

Despite this last link in a chain of great Scottish poets from the 20th century, he has left an enduring tradition. The Scottish Poetry Library, which announced his death this morning, goes from strength to strength and a new generation  stands on the shoulders of the giants – MacLean, MacCaig, MacDiarmid and now Morgan.

Edwin Morgan always found something new to write about and his poetry touched people in a very profound way. Often surprising them that they found such richness in a medium many felt unfamiliar.

Robyn Marsack, director of the Scottish Poetry Library speaking today said: ‘A star goes on giving light long afterwards, as he will. Edwin Morgan was not only our national poet – widely read, studied at school, much loved by fellow authors as well as readers – but our international poet. His inventiveness is matched by his accessibility, a rare combination of formal skills, intellectual curiosity and emotional power’.

Russell Bruce, Books Editor. 19th August 2010

The profile photograph above of Edwin Morgan is by copyright holder Alex Boyd and is reproduced here under the GNU Free Documentation licence.