Wolf Moon

Arifa Akbar’s fascinating exploration of the night had me entranced from start to finish. It is wide-ranging, thoughtful, intelligent and so elegantly written, an absolute joy – Lucy Atkins, author of Windmill HillIn this intense psychic and physical exploration of the black hours, Arifa Akbar opens up about her insomnia - which is both destructive and creative - gets to know night-time workers and lightless places, tries to understand the mysteries of sleep and mines her own life. Truthful, lyrical and unforgettable – Yasmin Alibhai-BrownA deft, rich and intimate exploration of darkness in all its varied guises … bold, and beautifully written, Akbar captures the multiple facets of darkness through the lens of a woman alone – Annabel Abbs, author of Sleepless: Discovering the Power of the Night SelfA beautifully written combination of personal reflection and broader thought, learned without being earnest, moving without being mawkish, at once atmospheric and touching, quite haunting in fact - and a worthy follow up to the brilliant Consumed – Louise Doughty, author of Apple Tree YardAkbar’s writing has an oneiric quality that translates interiority into language - she writes about insomnia, night terrors, of strange female figures glimpsed on Waterloo Bridge, of the joyful abandon of dancing all night in a techno club in Berlin, all in crystalline prose … despite its attentiveness towards analysis and cultural criticism, Wolf Moon also has an emotional undercurrent of vulnerability and self-reckoning that makes it deeply touching and irrevocably humanistic * Something Curated *This imaginative and empathetic book will probably not guide you to better sleep, but it will be a fine companion for the wakeful hours – Alex Clark * Guardian *A rich kaleidoscope of a book in which a series of visions emerge from the shadows … those who people the night may not always be visible to those who sleep soundly but their stories are rich and complex and infinitely varied * Financial Times *Reveals the enchantment and fear that darkness holds for women … an energetic exploration – Kathleen Jamie * Observer *[A] lyrical examination of the world between dusk and dawn … Wolf Moon is a celebration of the exuberance of night-time and a moving portrait of the dangers of the dark – Emily Lawford * The Times *[A] fascinating voyage into the night and all those who inhabit it * i Paper *[A] deeply personal voyage into the nocturnal world … a worthy companion for the witching hours * London Standard *

Arifa Akbar is chief theatre critic for the Guardian. She has previously been literary editor at the Independent, as well as a news reporter and arts correspondent. She has served as a trustee on the boards of the Orwell Foundation and English PEN. She is currently a fellow of the London Centre for the Humanities. Her first book, Consumed: In Search of my Sister, was shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards, PEN Ackerley Prize and Jhalak Prize, and it was longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize. Wolf Moon is her second book.