The Writing Desk

Margaret and Elsie Balfour have been raised on a farm in South Canterbury in the latter part of the nineteenth century. The sisters' lives diverge when Elsie leaves for the United Kingdom to study medicine at Edinburgh University. As the eldest, Margaret remains at home, taking on the expected role of caring for her many siblings. When tragedy strikes, the trajectory of both of the sisters' lives is changed forever.

Beautifully illustrated and accompanied by family photographs and historical ephemera, The Writing Desk highlights the daily trials and societal prejudices that women faced in the colonial era and offers a fascinating comparison to contemporary gender imbalances young women are still challenged by today.

Author description

Di Morris was born in Kirikiriroa Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand. She grew up in Te Matau-a-Maui Hawkes Bay, studied Fine Arts at Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha University of Canterbury, followed by a Master of Design from Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. In the 1980s and '90s she worked as a graphic designer and art director in Sydney, Australia, before returning home to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2001. Di teaches secondary school design and photography, and in her spare time she gardens and illustrates. She lives in Hawkes Bay with her free-range chickens.