Leigh Ann

Henion

New York Times Bestselling Author

Journalist & Award Winner

Travels from: Boone, NC

“A lyrical, fascinating story about exploring the secret world of darkness and the remarkable creatures within it… Henion writes with poetic grace.” ― Kirkus Reviews

Leigh Ann Henion is the New York Times bestselling author of Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark (2024) and Phenomenal: A Hesitant Adventurer’s Search for Wonder in the Natural World (2015). Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Smithsonian, Backpacker, Garden & Gun, National Geographic, Men’s Journal, and a variety of other publications. Her essays and articles have been cited as notable in The Best American Essays, The Best American Travel Writing, The Best American Sports Writing, and The Best American Science & Nature Writing. She is a former Alicia Patterson Fellow, and her work has been supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Night Magic was, in part, inspired by an article Henion wrote for The Washington Post Magazine about synchronous fireflies. After that piece ran, many readers reached out to let her know that they’d started turning off their porch lights more often, and she was amazed that her story had inspired real-world action that led to reduced light pollution. Henion subsequently spent several years in the company of owls, moths, salamanders, and other nocturnal creatures to explore the importance of natural darkness in an age of increasing artificial light.

The Wall Street Journal called Night Magic, “lovely…truly inspired…and very clever.” In a starred review, Kirkus said, “Henion writes with poetic grace.” And Publishers Weekly reported, “Henion’s greatest gift is her ability to evoke the sense of wonder that follows from tuning in to the natural world. This will fill readers with awe.” Henion aims to continually inspire awe, both in person and on the page.

Leigh Ann's Featured Titles

Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark

Algonquin Books |

September 24, 2024

Environmental Writing

From a New York Times bestselling nature writer comes a celebration of what goes on outside in the dark, from blooming moon gardens to nocturnal salamanders, from glowing foxfire and synchronous fireflies that blink in unison like an orchestra of light.

In this glorious celebration of the night, New York Times bestselling nature writer Leigh Ann Henion invites us to leave our well-lit homes, step outside, and embrace the dark as a profoundly beautiful part of the world we inhabit. Because no matter where we live, we are surrounded by animals that rise with the moon, and blooms that reveal themselves as light fades. Henion explores her home region of Appalachia, where she attends a synchronous firefly event in Tennessee, a bat outing in Alabama, and a moth festival in Ohio. In North Carolina, she finds forests alight with bioluminescent mushrooms, neighborhood trees full of screech owls, and valleys teeming with migratory salamanders. Along the way, Henion encounters naturalists, biologists, primitive-skills experts, and others who’ve dedicated their lives to cultivating relationships with darkness.

Every page of this lyrical book feels like an opportunity to ask: How did I not know about this before? For example, we learn that it can take hours, not minutes, for human eyes to reach full night vision capacity. And that there are thousands of firefly species on earth, many with flash patterns as unique as fingerprints. In an age of increasing artificial light, Night Magic focuses on the amazing biodiversity that still surrounds us after sunset. We do not need to stargaze into the distant cosmos or dive into the depths of oceans to find awe in the dark. There are dazzling wonders in our own backyards. And readers of World of Wonders, Entangled Life, and The Hidden Life of Trees will discover joy in Night Magic.

Animals & Wildlife, Creative Nonfiction, Natural World, Nonfiction

Phenomenal: A Hesitant Adventurer’s Search for Wonder in the Natural World

Penguin Publishing Group |

March 8, 2016

Travel Writing

“Leigh Ann Henion has tackled one of the great questions of contemporary, intelligent, adventurous women: Is it possible to be a wife and mother and still explore the world? Her answer seems to be that this is not only possible, but essential. This story shows how. I think it will open doors for many.” —Elizabeth Gilbert, author of The Signature of All Things and Eat, Pray, Love

Children have the ability to marvel over simple things in nature—leaves, pebbles, twigs. When she becomes a mother, Leigh Ann Henion starts to question: Could experiencing earth’s most dazzling natural phenomena make the world similarly new again? Phenomenal is the improbable story of how she chases eclipses, auroras, and other natural phenomena around the globe to reawaken her sense of wonder.

Whether standing on the still-burning volcanoes of Hawai‘i or in the fearsome lightning storms of Venezuela, amid the vast wildebeest migration in Tanzania, or the millions of swirling butterflies that roost on a mountaintop in Mexico, Henion discovers the visceral awe that her child experiences every day. Her spiritual wanderlust puts her in the path of modern-day shamans, reindeer herders, and astrophysicists. These seekers trust their instincts, follow their passions, shape their days into the lives they most want to lead. And, somewhere along the way, Leigh Ann Henion becomes one of them.

Creative Nonfiction, Memoir & Personal Journeys, Natural World, Nonfiction, Travel Narratives

Appreciating the Magic of Natural Night

Harnessing the Power of Awe & Wonder

Fostering Curiosity for the Greater Good

Practicing Mindfulness in Nature

Finding Hope in Hard Times

Storytelling Across Disciplines

Identifying the Art in Science

Approaching Creativity as a Quest

Weaving Research & Narrative

“Leigh Ann Henion is not only a great writer, but a rollicking, deeply engaging speaker as well. She is exceedingly easy to work with, a true professional. Her visuals were striking, her stories engrossing, and her obvious joy infectious. She packs a lot of important information into her talks, but delivers that knowledge in such an entertaining manner that you’ll wonder how the time passed so quickly.” — Haden Institute, 2026

“It was an absolute joy welcoming Leigh Ann Henion to our Brunch with the Author stage. Her effervescence and clear love for the nighttime biodiversity she has discovered through her adventures throughout Appalachia made for an uplifting and motivating conversation. Leigh Ann inspired the attendees of this event to turn off their backyard lights and see what life and activity emerges from the darkness, and I am certain that exactly what everyone did that very evening!” — Grow Native Massachusetts, 2026

“Leigh Ann’s talk was one of the highest rated guest talks we’ve hosted for one of our events. Her passion for underappreciated critters and stories of reconnecting with the wonder in her backyard really spoke to our conservation-focused audience. We are so glad we came across Leigh Ann and her book!” — Woodland Park Zoo, 2026

“Leigh Ann Henion is as dynamic in person as she is on the page—and that is really saying something. During her time on campus, she enchanted both students and the community at large. She has a bold and exciting presence.” — Appalachian State University

“Leigh Ann is a gifted writer, and she is a wonderful speaker and storyteller. Her audience was completely captivated…As a nature lover, she describes in words what I feel when I experience something special in nature that leaves me without language. I have heard from several attendees, and they all shared what a special experience it was to hear her speak.” — Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

“A heartfelt thank you from everyone here. Our audiences really enjoyed hearing Leigh Ann speak! Very much appreciate her coming all the way to see us in Australia.” — Sydney Writers’ Festival

“Henion’s science-based book about the flora and fauna that adorn the nightscape is also a philosophical exploration of the role darkness plays in our lives…Culture tells us to ‘step into the light,’ but she asks what might happen if we pause in the darkness to witness what it offers — looking at the life forms that arise, seeing how a familiar landscape can change, and staying alert to the possibility of wonder.” — The Washington Post

“In Night Magic, darkness is revered, and its secrets are revealed…Henion’s vivid style of nature writing and complementary self-reflection are reminders that witnessing the extraordinary can be as easy as shifting your bedtime back an hour and going outside.” — Scientific American

“A nature lover’s guide to the night that unfolds like a novel.” — The Christian Science Monitor

“Henion takes readers on a series of adventures exploring the natural world at night in a voice that seamlessly vacillates between storyteller and poet. After reading Night Magic…you might just experience a little more wonder in your everyday life.” — Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“A revelation. You’re likely to come away from Night Magic…educated and inspired. Henion writes often of human responses to darkness that allow us to recognize and reconsider it, and to embrace its tranquility and beauty.” — Minnesota Star Tribune

Leigh Ann’s Events Page

Honors, Awards & Recognition

New York Times Bestseller
Alicia Patterson Fellow
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Grant Recipient
Lowell Thomas Award Winner (2008, 2017, 2021, 2022)

Media clips

Minnesota Star Tribune | Review: Afraid of the dark? ‘Night Magic’ is a book to help us reimagine darkness

Wall Street Journal | ‘Night Magic’: Nature Stays Up Late

Scientific American | Review: The Secrets of Creatures That Thrive in the Dark

Media Kit

By clicking the link below you will be directed to a Google Docs Folder
where you can download author photos and cover images.

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