Since the release of his latest novel, The Life Impossible, Matt Haig has hinted that he is writing a sequel to The Midnight Library.
To mark the successful release of his newest novel, Matt Haig visited the Cheltenham Literature Festival to discuss all the questions his fans had. While there, he was asked what his next writing project was. He replied that he had begun a potential sequel to The Midnight Library.
The Midnight Library and Its Success
The Midnight Library was originally published in August 2020 and follows the story of Nora Seed, who believes she is living a dead-end life with no meaning. Finding a fantasy library allows her to see variations of the lives she can live. In each life, things are either drastically different or only ever so slightly different.
Nora’s main regret from her ‘root life’ was her constant self-criticism. She discovers that she doesn’t need to research global climate change and defend herself against polar bears in Svalbard in order to make a difference. After learning the positive influence she had on the lives of her elderly neighbor and the young boy she tutored, she chose to go back to her original life. Even though her other lives may be more exciting, she has an impact on people in her current life that she hadn’t previously realized.
Matt Haig uses this book to illustrate how new perspectives can change our whole perception. Suddenly, we feel extremely appreciative of things we have barely noticed before.
The novel made quite an impact on its readers, with an overall rating of 3.99/5 stars on GoodReads. Last year, the Diablo Gazette shared that more than 9 million copies have been sold worldwide.
Matt Haig told the book tour audience in Cheltenham about his constant struggle with his mental health. He admitted, “I wasn’t convinced I would live past 25.” Not only has he surpassed this age, but he has done so pretty successfully!
After such a successful book release in the time of COVID-19, Matt took a bit of a break. He said after The Midnight Library, “I didn’t write for a year. I told myself I wouldn’t write anything unless it was for myself.”
Other Books by Matt Haig
Before The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s most famous novels were the likes of How To Stop Time, Reasons To Stay Alive, and Humans: An A-Z.
After his short hiatus following The Midnight Library came his children’s novel in 2021, A Mouse Called Miika. Matt Haig loves writing for children; he stated:”It’s so fun, and it’s easier because their imaginations are wild and more accepting.”
Not long after, he went back to non-fiction writing with The Comfort Book. Google Books describes the novel as “a manual of reflections for an increasingly stressful world.” The aim of the book is to do as the title suggests and comfort the reader by providing consolation in a series of stories.
In total, Matt Haig has written more than 23 books, all of which have sold in 55 languages. For those new to his work, you should expect to read explorations of realistic issues with a touch of fantasy in his fictitious pieces.
“I like to write about reality until it becomes a zombie apocalypse in a post office. I think because I write nonfiction too I want the fiction to be fiction. So, I really go for it! But I like writing relatable characters and outsiders that don’t know the rules of society – or do, but find it hard.”
Matt Haig at the Cheltenham Literature Festival
His most recent book, The Life Impossible, was released on September 3rd and is growing in popularity by the day.
Matt Haig’s Latest Novel: The Life Impossible
Why The Life Impossible is Set in Ibiza
The Life Impossible is set in the controversial location of Ibiza. Matt Haig said, “It felt quite naughty setting a book in Ibiza. It’s not really the type of place you’re meant to set a book.” Explaining what he meant by this, he said, “It has a lot of history… but in Britain especially, it has a reputation that only shows the one side. The clubs, drugs, alcohol and partying.” In fact, Ibiza is home to the world’s oldest living seagrass.
Matt Haig lived in Ibiza during the 1990s. There, he began drinking a lot, and eventually, he suffered a mental breakdown. He explained that it was caused by the looming inevitability of adulthood: “I’d just finished a Master’s degree and was feeling lost. On this day, though, I was the healthiest I had been. I hadn’t had a drink, and I’d been on a run. And then, I just broke down.”
After he left Ibiza, he never wanted to go back in case it was a trigger. But then, during the coronavirus pandemic, he began therapy. This was something that had never appealed to him before, as he was agoraphobic. However, the ability to do therapy from his own sofa (thanks to the UK being on lockdown) meant he could finally give it a try.
“At first, I wanted my therapist to tell me all my problems were my mum’s fault.”
He then found out he was neurodiverse and that his panic attacks were occurring because he was running from the past. As a result, he “went back to Ibiza to confront it all.”
He discovered that it didn’t trigger him negatively like he had been expecting. He shared: “I’ve been back five times since… for research!”
“Recovery can be the most magical thing. I’m not saying go through depression so you can experience the recovery afterwards. But, that feeling of being alive, actually enmoying the view, and not wanting to die — that was just…yeah.”
The Life Impossible Characters
Haig based the book on some of his own personal experiences and things he learned about Ibiza.
He described how he chose 72-year-old Grace as the main character: “They say write about what you know. I’d just had a varicose vein operation, and afterwards, they give you stockings. It had been a week of pulling them up and down slowly and I thought, I know what it’s like to be 72.” Thus, Grace was born onto paper.
To complete the unlikely duo, Haig created Alberto. He said, “It’s hard to write men because it’s hard to make likable men. Every time I tried, I found myself overcompensating, so he was like a sentient cardigan. He would end up working in a puffin sanctuary or something! But Alberto became an eccentric yet likable character – he became the most fun I’ve had writing a character.”
Rumors of a Sequel to The Midnight Library
At the end of his chat during the Cheltenham Literature Festival, the audience submitted questions for him. The most sought-after was the query of what he was writing next.
Haig said, “I have two Word docs open at the moment.” One is called The Memory Thief, and he has gone to the posh side for once and set the book in Venice. As for the other, all he would say was that he was “working on a potential sequel” to The Midnight Library. As he spoke these words, the entire auditorium gasped. Shock and anticipation were very evident in the atmosphere. It was at this moment that question time finished, and Matt Haig left the stage, leaving everyone wondering.
Despite the successful release of The Midnight Library, readers never seemed to realize a sequel would be a possibility. Yet, as soon as word gets out, speculations of storylines are sure to flood social media.
How Successful Would a Sequel be?
With over half a million readers voting for The Midnight Library as the winner of the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Fiction in 2020, it’s fair to say many would be interested in reading what Matt Haig has in store for us next. However, pressure comes along with this. Readers will expect Matt Haig to deliver to the same standard as he did the first time.
Then follows the question of how the sequel would work: Will it continue to follow Nora’s life where she left off? Or will it follow the story of someone else using The Midnight Library? Or maybe the story will follow Hugo, one of the other time travelers mentioned in the original.
Now, all we need is for Matt Haig to confirm the sequel that he has teased. So readers, keep your eyes peeled!
In the meantime, check out which of your favorite books are being adapted onto the screen.
