Magnus Merriman

This hilarious novel charts the rise and fall (and perhaps the rise again) of Magnus Merriman—would-be lover, writer, politician, idealist, and crofter—moved by dreams of greatness and a talent for farcical defeat. Convinced that "small nations are safer to live in than big ones," Magnus becomes a Nationalist candidate for the parliamentary seat of "Kinluce." With details based on Linklater's own experiences in an East Fife by-election in 1933, the way is set for a satirical and irreverent portrait of Scottish life, literature, and politics in the 1930s. Nothing is sacred and no-one is spared. Introduced by Douglas Gifford.