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Canongate brings Dan Richards’ Overnight into the light of day
Canongate has acquired travel writer Dan Richards’ Overnight: Journeys, Conversations and Stories After Dark – a “wide-ranging exploration” of the world at night.
Editorial director Simon Thorogood acquired world all language rights to the book, which will be published in March 2025 in hardback, e-book and audiobook, with a paperback to follow. The deal was negotiated with Carrie Plitt at Felicity Bryan Associates, continuing a relationship that began with Richards’ Outpost: A Journey to the Wild Ends of the Earth in 2019.
“Overnight is a wide-ranging exploration of night that was born in part from Dan’s own childhood fear of the darkness and subsequent bouts of insomnia,” the synopsis says. “It is the product of four years of travel, interviews and research: from the high stakes of a helicopter search-and-rescue team to the deliriously sleepless nights of young parents, from Shetland to Finland and France, hospital beds to racetracks, it’s an attempt to reclaim the night – to find joy and warmth in darkness – but also to explore those parts of our society that are often out of view and out of mind.”
Richards said: “Overnight explores and celebrates many aspects of the nocturnal world – work, wildlife, dreams and art. Some of the people in its pages saved my life, some showed me bats, some sped me through the night on mail trains, some told me stories about the stars. It’s been a great adventure to write and I can’t wait for it to see the light of day.”
Thorogood added: “It’s such a pleasure to be back in Dan’s company on another picaresque journey, this time into the night, and all the work that keeps the world’s wheels turning. There’s even Moomins!”
Plitt commented: “I’m so glad we’re continuing this relationship between Dan and Canongate, and with the most delightful and moving of books. Dan’s writing, full of wit and wisdom, has helped me see the night in a different way, and introduced me to the people who run our trains, bake our bread and keep us alive.”
