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An exploration of night – the nocturnal world, insomnia, the creative potential of the dark hours, The work that happens while most of us sleep – by Sunday Times bestselling author Dan Richards
There is something special about the night.
For many, dusk and evening conjure thoughts of starlit skies, romance, bedtime stories and rest. For others, the small hours mean fear, vulnerability and sleeplessness. At night things go bump, the familiar world becomes mysterious and uncanny; owls and bats take wing, foxes prowl.
With new material delving deeper into all things nocturnal, Overnight is a hymn to nighttime wildlife, travel, dreams and art. Along the way, Dan Richards meets a fascinating array of people who labour while the rest of us sleep, and brings their work into the light.
From night terror chills to the warmth of dawn 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
Overnight discography
See the music mentioned in Overnight by Dan Richards, as well as the music that soundtracked its writing and research. Or you can also listen to the Spotify playlist.