The Dark Island: Leprosy in New Zealand and the Quail Island Colony
This remarkable narrative reveals a little-known aspect of New Zealand’s past, shedding light on the treatment of some of society’s most marginal, unfortunate and isolated people. Written in lucid, compelling prose, The Dark Island heralds the arrival of a significant historical voice.
About the author
Benjamin Kingsbury was born in Auckland in 1987, and brought up in New Zealand and Pakistan. He completed an MA in History at the University of Canterbury, and received his PhD from Victoria University of Wellington. His first book, An Imperial Disaster: The Bengal Cyclone of 1876, was published by Oxford University Press in 2018. He has taught history at Victoria University of Wellington, and now works as a historian for Te Arawhiti, the Office for Māori Crown Relations.