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An exploration of night – the nocturnal world, insomnia, the creative potential of the dark hours, the work that happens at night to keep the modern world moving – by Sunday Times bestselling author Dan Richards
There is something special about the night. For many, just the idea of it conjures thoughts of starlit skies, romance, refuge, of being tucked up in bed. For some, the night means fear, vulnerability, danger, sleeplessness. At night things go bump, monsters hide under beds, owls take wing and foxes prowl. For others still, nightfall signals the start of work.
Overnight is a celebration of all things nocturnal, of those who labour while the rest of us sleep: the bakers, health workers, sailors, couriers, broadcasters, drivers, fishers, the emergency services and more. And it is also a hymn to nighttime wildlife, dreams and art. We’ll hang out with bats and look at the stars. We’ll learn what Moomintroll has to teach us. We’ll travel by ship, train, racing car and foot. There will be more than one surprise along the way.
Through a series of personal journeys Dan Richards explores what the night means to a fascinating array of people, taking us from night terrors to the glow of watching the dawn break on the summer solstice. Overnight will change the way you think about the hours after dark.
“The height of crafted eloquence. The book felt choral to me, all those different nocturnal voices singing at the same time, and the cumulative effect of it is powerful and moving”
Samantha Harvey
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“By the book’s end, night has grown to seem vibrant and companionable”
observer
“Creatures of the night rejoice – this is the book we’ve been waiting for! A truly addictive read”
Kevin Barry
“A revelatory journey into the teeming life of the night. Moving, engrossing, essential”
Katherine May
“A paean of gratitude to every form of labour in the wee small hours, packed with enough fun facts for an entire pub quiz … Curiosity and boundless enthusiasm are what the reader is paying for here. It’s the author’s infectious sincerity that really makes Overnight work”
spectator
Dan Richards
Dan Richards is the co-author of Holloway (with Robert Macfarlane and Stanley Donwood), and the author of The Beechwood Airship Interviews, Climbing Days, Outpost and Overnight. Only After Dark, a BBC Radio 4 series about the nocturnal world, was broadcast to acclaim in 2022. Dan has written for the New York Times, Guardian, Economist and Esquire.
@Dan_Zep