Andrew Waterhouse was a British poet, professor, musician, and environmentalist whose work concerns the natural world, relationships, faith, and despair. Waterhouse studied environmental science at Newcastle University and Wye College, and lectured at Kirkley Hall Agricultural College for most of his professional career. In 1996, he was in the first cohort of the creative writing MA at Northumbria University. The environment was central to Waterhouse's work and to his life. In 1998, Waterhouse bought ten acres of Northumbrian upland and rehabilitated the land with oak, sycamore, and ash saplings. He gave up lecturing in 2000 to commit to writing full time, but his struggles with depression led him to commit suicide. This was a shock both to his friends and family and to the literary community.
Waterhouse published his early poems in literary magazines. These garnered recognition and won awards but it was not until later that Waterhouse published a collection. In 2000, his collection In won the Forward Prize for Best First Collection, as well as the Northern Writers' Award. His second collection, 2nd, was published posthumously. The Northern Writers created an annual award in Waterhouse's honor.
Andrew Waterhouse was a British poet and environmentalist whose work dealt with relationships, emotions, and the natural world. His poem "Climbing My Grandfather," originally published in his 2000 collection In, uses an extended metaphor about...
