An exhibition and series of events about Corpus alumnus Christopher Isherwood's (1904-86) time at Corpus is currently being held in the Parker Library.

Curated by Fellow Eliza Haughton-Shaw and Conrad Steel, Fellow of Keble College Oxford (pictured with Peter Martland), the exhibition is the first time that the novelist, diarist and screenwriter has been celebrated in this way by the College. An Opening Reception for the exhibition will take place next Wednesday 22 May at 16.00, followed by a discussion in the McCrum Theatre between Eliza and leading scholar and critic of Isherwood, Katherine Bucknell. Bucknell will discuss Christopher Isherwood Inside Out, her new biography about the life Christopher Isherwood, which draws on a wealth of previously unpublished material and is enhanced by unlimited access to Isherwood's partner of thirty years, Don Bachardy. Tickets for the talk can be booked on Eventbrite. 

The story of Christopher Isherwood's life is one of pilgrimage: away from the constraints of inheritance and empire and toward authenticity and spiritual illumination. Isherwood—the author of Goodbye to Berlin, which inspired Cabaret, and A Single Man—was born an heir to a crumbling English estate. He died an icon of gay liberation in California while Don Bachardy painted his death portrait.

As Peter Martland and Miles Pattenden wrote in Corpus Lives, "Isherwood was acknowledged as one of the leading literary figures of the twentieth century, successful both as a novelist and diarist and, through his unashamed portrayal of homosexual culture in oppressive societies an icon of the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. If his time at Corpus was undistinguished, he has become one of the College's most celebrated alumni."

Two years at Cambridge

Isherwood matriculated in 1923 to read History, but he failed to complete his degree. As Eliza notes, "Isherwood would almost certainly have viewed this exhibition with surprise and contempt. It celebrates 100 years since he attended Corpus Christi as an undergraduate: more specifically, in Lent term of 1924, he was completing the first year of his history degree. By the following year, he had decided he had enough, and in his Part I exams he wrote only joke answers (some of which can be read in the exhibition) in order to ensure he was thrown out before his third year."

He chose Corpus because his great friend from Repton School, Edward Upward (m.1922), preceded him by one year. Together they created a collection of satirical stories in a shared fantasy setting of 'Mortmere' (illustrated in the exhibition by the contemporary artist Anna Trench) to mock the upper-class characters they encountered at Cambridge. Upward completed his degree and went on to become a novelist and short story writer. He and Isherwood remained close all their lives, and were part of a group of writers which included friends and collaborators W.H. Auden and Stephen Spender amongst others.

The exhibition gathers together for the first time correspondence, books, reviews, and other memorabilia from Isherwood's time at Corpus, including a facsimile of his first undergraduate essay Better England free than England sober. Commissioned artwork also includes works by David McShane inspired by Isherwood's writings in Cambridge. On 5 May, Dr Eleri Watson (University of Oxford) gave a presentation on their current research into Isherwood's writing and queer life in the twentieth century, followed by a Q&A with artists Anna Trench and David McShane. 

The playreading group the Grave-Diggers Society was among Isherwood’s most formative experiences as a Cambridge undergraduate. The Grave-Diggers minutes book is on display, and two contemporary play-reading events by current students and local amateur actors joined it to form a living part of the exhibition. Alumna Mia Hull directed an original play, This is the Good Place: Christopher and the Grave-Diggers, also featuring Corpus students.

Photos from Isherwood in Cambridge can be seen in the gallery below. To view the exhibition, contact the Parker Library.

With thanks to the following who have kindly lent material for Isherwood in Cambridge.

King’s College, Cambridge

Cambridge University Library

Cambridgeshire Collection, Cambridge Central Library

Reproductions with the kind permission of The Wylie Agency