Eddie Linden
A tireless Scottish poet and literary editor who built a vital platform for international verse from a bedsit, shaping poetic voices for decades.
1935–2023 (age 88)·Scottish poet and editor·Birthday: May 5·The Silent Generation
Biography
Eddie Linden’s life was a testament to the power of poetry forged in hardship. Born into poverty and spending time in orphanages, he found his voice and purpose in the written word. Settling in London, he became a fixture in the city's literary pubs and a passionate advocate for poets. In 1969, with little more than determination, he launched Aquarius, a poetry magazine he would edit for over thirty years from his small flat. The publication became a crucial, unpretentious meeting point for established and emerging writers from Britain, Ireland, and beyond, known for Linden’s exacting taste and generous editorial support. More than just an editor, he was a performer of his own stark, autobiographical verse, a political activist, and a beloved, eccentric figure who dedicated his life to the ecosystem of poetry, believing fiercely in its necessity.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Eddie was born in 1935, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Eddie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1935
#1 Movie
Mutiny on the Bounty
Best Picture
Mutiny on the Bounty
Eddie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1935Born
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1940Started school
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1948Became a teenager
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Could drive
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1953Could vote
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1956Turned 21
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1965Turned 30
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 40
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 50
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 60
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 70
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 80
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2023Died at 88
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
Key Achievements
- Founded and single-handedly edited the influential poetry magazine Aquarius from 1969 to 2002.
- Published early work by numerous major poets, including Seamus Heaney and Derek Mahon, through Aquarius.
- Authored several collections of his own poetry, such as 'City of Razors' and 'The Broken Crown'.
- Was the subject of a biographical documentary film titled 'The Prince of Poets'.
Did You Know?
He was known for selling copies of Aquarius on the streets and in pubs around London's Soho.
He was a conscientious objector and served a prison sentence for his refusal to perform national service.
The poet Sebastian Barker credited Linden with teaching him 'how to be a poet'.
He was of Irish Catholic descent and his work often engaged with themes of Irish identity and politics.
“I am a poet. That is my profession. I live by it.”
