#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 Introduction01:16 Why Matt Reads His Own 1-Star Reviews04:06 Why Children Are Better Readers Than Adults06:24 Trouble at School, Neurodiversity & Finding Writing08:28 The Breakdown That Changed Everything11:56 How Books Helped Him Survive Depression14:05 Recovery, Rejection & Becoming an Author17:40 The Purpose Behind Reasons to Stay Alive20:17 Mental Health Advocacy & Writing Fiction27:26 Conquering His Fear of Public Speaking33:07 The Origin of The Midnight Library35:12 Writing Nora's Many Alternate Lives37:50 How Nora Seed Got Her Name38:52 The Midnight Library Movie Adaptation40:27 Florence Pugh as Nora & Behind the Scenes44:30 Inside The Midnight Train46:14 What Matt Wants Readers to Take Away49:20 The Dream of Opening a Bookstore51:24 What's NextFOLLOW US:Morgann BookTikTok: 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 HaigInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattzhaig/Find his books at Indigo: https://www.indigo.ca/pages/contributor/matt-haig?id=811768428Find his books at Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/authors/matt-haigOff The ShelfInstagram: 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 BookCreated by: Bookish Media, Morgann Book, and Thomas Johnston Executive Producers: Morgann Book & Thomas Johnston Produced by: Stefanie MacchiusiAssociate Post Producer and Editor: Ricki Biramontes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.