Living Water: Poetry, Art and the Fight for Clean Rivers
Tue 21 April - Sat 5 December
Cambridge University Library
‘Without living water, we die.’
These stark words from Anglo-Irish artist Barrie Cooke reflect his alarm at the growing pollution of the Irish rivers and loughs he loved. A leading expressionist painter, Cooke drew constant inspiration from the natural world and from his friendships with major 20th-century poets, including Seamus Heaney, Ted Hughes and John Montague.
This exhibition uncovers a significant archive of letters, manuscripts and artworks that offers fresh insight into their creative dialogue across five decades. At its heart lies the shared landscape that sustained them, rivers that became both artistic touchstones and warnings of environmental decline.
Living Water is a partnership with Pembroke College, Cambridge and is curated by Dr Mark Wormald, Fellow in English at Pembroke College and award-winning poet.
Some of the artworks and manuscripts in the exhibition reference death, nudity and the objectification of women.
Also on show are works by acclaimed artist Susan Derges, inspired by the rivers and landscape of Devon. Visitors are invited to sit, pause, perhaps read a poem, while they contemplate these human-sized works which trace the presence and flow of water.
Cost: Free
Enquiries and booking
No need to book.
Free to visit, no bookings required. Visit our website for visitor and group information www.lib.cam.ac.uk/livingwater. Queries relating to your visit can be directed to library@lib.cam.ac.uk.
Timing
In person
9:00am-6:30pm on weekdays from Tuesday 21 April until Saturday 5 December
9:00am-4:30pm Saturday every week from Tuesday 21 April until Saturday 5 December
All times
| Tue 21 April | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 22 April | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 23 April | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 24 April | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 25 April | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 27 April | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 28 April | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 29 April | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 30 April | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 1 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 2 May | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 4 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 5 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 6 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 7 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 8 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 9 May | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 11 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 12 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 13 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 14 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 15 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 16 May | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 18 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 19 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| TodayWed 20 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 21 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 22 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 23 May | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 25 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 26 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 27 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 28 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 29 May | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 30 May | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 1 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 2 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 3 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 4 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 5 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 6 June | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 8 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 9 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 10 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 11 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 12 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 13 June | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 15 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 16 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 17 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 18 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 19 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 20 June | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 22 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 23 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 24 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 25 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 26 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 27 June | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 29 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 30 June | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 1 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 2 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 3 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 4 July | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 6 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 7 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 8 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 9 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 10 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 11 July | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 13 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 14 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 15 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 16 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 17 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 18 July | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 20 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 21 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 22 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 23 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 24 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 25 July | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 27 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 28 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 29 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 30 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 31 July | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 1 August | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 3 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 4 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 5 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 6 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 7 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 8 August | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 10 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 11 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 12 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 13 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 14 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 15 August | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 17 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 18 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 19 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 20 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 21 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 22 August | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 24 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 25 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 26 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 27 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 28 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 29 August | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 31 August | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 1 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 2 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 3 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 4 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 5 September | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 7 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 8 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 9 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 10 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 11 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 12 September | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 14 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 15 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 16 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 17 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 18 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 19 September | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 21 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 22 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 23 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 24 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 25 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 26 September | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 28 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 29 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 30 September | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 1 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 2 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 3 October | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 5 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 6 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 7 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 8 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 9 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 10 October | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 12 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 13 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 14 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 15 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 16 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 17 October | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 19 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 20 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 21 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 22 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 23 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 24 October | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 26 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 27 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 28 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 29 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 30 October | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 31 October | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 2 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 3 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 4 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 5 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 6 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 7 November | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 9 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 10 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 11 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 12 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 13 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 14 November | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 16 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 17 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 18 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 19 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 20 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 21 November | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 23 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 24 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 25 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 26 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 27 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 28 November | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
| Mon 30 November | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Tue 1 December | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Wed 2 December | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Thu 3 December | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Fri 4 December | 9:00AM - 6:30PM |
| Sat 5 December | 9:00AM - 4:30PM |
