#51: Why Matt Haig Reads 1-Star Reviews of The Midnight Library

This week on Off The Shelf, Morgann sits down with Matt Haig, bestselling author of The Midnight Library, The Midnight Train, and Reasons to Stay Alive. Matt opens up about the mental health crisis that changed the course of his life, how writing became part of his recovery, and why The Midnight Library was the most freeing book he's ever written. We also discuss the upcoming film adaptation starring Florence Pugh, the inspiration behind Nora Seed, social media, AI, creativity, and what he hopes readers take away from The Midnight Train. CHAPTERS:  00:00 Introduction 01:16 Why Matt Reads His Own 1-Star Reviews 04:06 Why Children Are Better Readers Than Adults 06:24 Trouble at School, Neurodiversity & Finding Writing 08:28 The Breakdown That Changed Everything 11:56 How Books Helped Him Survive Depression 14:05 Recovery, Rejection & Becoming an Author 17:40 The Purpose Behind Reasons to Stay Alive 20:17 Mental Health Advocacy & Writing Fiction 27:26 Conquering His Fear of Public Speaking 33:07 The Origin of The Midnight Library 35:12 Writing Nora's Many Alternate Lives 37:50 How Nora Seed Got Her Name 38:52 The Midnight Library Movie Adaptation 40:27 Florence Pugh as Nora & Behind the Scenes 44:30 Inside The Midnight Train 46:14 What Matt Wants Readers to Take Away 49:20 The Dream of Opening a Bookstore 51:24 What's Next FOLLOW US: Morgann Book TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@morgannbook?lang=en  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morgannbook/?hl=en  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MorgannBook  Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/morgannbook  Matt Haig Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattzhaig/ Find his books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/matt-haig?id=811768428 Find his books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/authors/matt-haig Off The Shelf Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/offtheshelf.podcast/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@offtheshelf.podcast?lang=en  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Off.TheShelfPodcast  Hosted by: Morgann Book Created by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston  Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston  Produced by: Stefanie Macchiusi Associate Post Producer and Editor: Ricki Biramontes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.