December 10 was the anniversary of the death of writer Thomas Merton. A prolific writer on spirituality, social justice and pacifism, he is best known for his autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain about his journey to becoming a Trappist monk.
Christchurch City Libraries has a significant collection of his works which began in 1969 with donations from his aunts, Agnes and Beatrice Merton. Thomas Merton never visited New Zealand but his father was a student at Christ’s College and his grandfather and great-grandfather both taught there.