Akbar, Arifa: Wolf Moon

‘This imaginative and empathetic book will probably not guide you to better sleep, but it will be a fine companion for the wakeful hours‘ GUARDIAN ‘A rich kaleidoscope of a book in which a series of visions emerge from the shadows ‘ FINANCIAL TIMES ‘A celebration of the exuberance of night-time and a moving portrait of the dangers of the dark‘ THE TIMES ‘A beautifully written combination of personal reflection and broader thought . . . at once atmospheric and touching‘ Louise Doughty, author of Apple Tree Yard The night is a time of darkness and nightmares, fear and vulnerability, especially for women. And, yet, it is another world, full of beauty and possibility, too. After the sun goes down, insomnia and sleep paralysis do threaten. But some have always walked the nocturnal landscapes, with more or less confidence. Others have worked, night shifts and hidden night work: nurses, security guards, sex workers. And some have found solace in the darkness, from queer rave culture to religious pre-dawn traditions. From dusk through to day, Arifa Akbar elegantly explores how the night shapes our bodies, minds and cultures. A personal and artistic journey from fear and into hope, Wolf Moon embraces the dark before bringing us, once more, into the light. ‘Had me entranced from start to finish . . . an absolute joy‘ Lucy Atkins, author of Windmill Hill ‘A deft, rich and intimate exploration of darkness in all its varied guises‘ Annabel Abbs, author of Sleepless ‘Truthful, lyrical and unforgettable‘ Yasmin Alibhai-Brown Praise for Consumed : ¿ ‘Beguiling . . . this one stands out for its eccentricity and elegiac splendour‘ Diana Evans, Guardian ¿ ‘Moving, engrossing, elegantly written‘ Sunday Times ¿ ‘I have rarely read a memoir with such a combination of powerful, tender feelings and cool-headed analysis‘ Mail on Sunday