“The Darkness Manifesto” by Johan Eklöf Named Inaugural Winner of Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability

The University of Pennsylvania Libraries is pleased to announce that The Darkness Manifesto: On Light Pollution, Night Ecology, and the Ancient Rhythms that Sustain Life by Johan Eklöf, translated by Elizabeth DeNoma (Scribner, 2024), has been named the inaugural winner of the Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability. The author will receive $8,000 and will be celebrated with a ceremony and book talk on September 26, 2024.

“The Penn Libraries is deeply committed to furthering initiatives that tackle the key environmental issues of our time, and we’re pleased to offer the Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability as a way to bolster new literature that draws attention to these issues,” says Brigitte Weinsteiger, H. Carton Rogers III Vice Provost and Director of the Penn Libraries. “Our inaugural winner, The Darkness Manifesto, presents compelling reflections on the adverse effects of light pollution and outlines simple steps we can take to address this issue.”

Praised as “rich in revelation and insight…lyrical” by The Wall Street Journal, The Darkness Manifesto draws attention to the hidden impact of our constantly illuminated world. All living organisms have evolved to operate in the natural cycle of day and night. In this book, Swedish conservationist Johan Eklöf describes the widespread effects of artificial light on insects, birds, and even humans, ultimately advocating for the preservation of natural darkness.

“I’m honored to receive the Penn Libraries’ first Book Prize in Sustainability and to use this opportunity to communicate the wide-reaching effects of light pollution,” Eklöf says. “By taking steps to reduce artificial light and return to darker skies, we can begin to revive struggling ecosystems and ensure a bright future for ourselves and our planet.”

A bat scientist and writer most known for his work on microbat vision and more recently, light pollution, Eklöf lives in the west of Sweden, where he works as a conservationist and copywriter. He has studied bats for almost 20 years and now has his own consultancy company, hired by authorities, wind companies, municipalities, city planners, and environmental organizations as an expert on bats, night ecology, and nature-friendly lighting. The Darkness Manifesto is his second book to be translated into English.

Established in 2024, the Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability — a new annual award presented by the Lynn Family — acknowledges outstanding contributions to the global discourse on environmental sustainability.  

A panel of five jurors representing academia, climate activism, and the private sector reviewed submissions and selected this year’s winner: Daniel Cohan, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University; Sara Cronenwett, Senior Vice President, Corporate Environmental Sustainability, Comcast; Genevieve Guenther, Founding Director, End Climate Silence, and Affiliate Faculty, Tishman Environment and Design Center, The New School; Michael E. Mann, Director, Penn Center for Science, Sustainability & the Media; and Julie DiNatale, Vice President, Chief Sustainability Officer, FMC; along with Brigitte Weinsteiger, ex officio.

In addition to this year’s prizewinning book, the jurors are pleased to recognize the following shortlist finalists: The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration by Jake Bittle (Simon & Schuster); Humanity's Moment: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope by Joëlle Gergis (Island Press); and Carbon Colonialism: How Rich Countries Export Climate Breakdown by Laurie Parsons (Manchester University Press).

Learn more about the Penn Libraries Book Prize in Sustainability and register for the ceremony and book talk. Copies of all shortlisted books are available for Penn students, faculty, and staff to borrow through the Penn Libraries catalog.