Matt Haig

Biography

Matt Haig (born 1975) is a British author who has spoken extensively about his own experience with depression and suicidal ideation, documented in his nonfiction book Reasons to Stay Alive (2015). He experienced a severe depressive and anxiety episode in his early twenties that brought him to the edge of suicide. His fiction consistently engages with mental health, mortality, and the question of what makes life worth living. The Midnight Library was published during the COVID-19 pandemic, when questions of isolation, lost possibilities, and the value of ordinary life had particular resonance. The novel became a global bestseller, reaching #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and selling millions of copies worldwide.

Matt Haig at a glance