Ian Hamilton

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.