Matt Haig’s readers come to him through imaginative novels, reflective non-fiction and books for children. A festival visit can be a chance to sit with the questions his stories raise about time, choice and what makes a life, then continue the conversation with someone who has found their own meaning in the same pages.
Quick facts
Best known for
The Midnight Library and Reasons to Stay Alive
Genre or subject
Fiction, imaginative stories about life’s choices and non-fiction
Latest book
The Midnight Library: The Graphic Novel, adapted and illustrated by Fred Fordham (2026). Latest new prose novel: The Midnight Train (2026).
Haig writes fiction and non-fiction, with an international readership in many languages. His novels include imaginative departures from ordinary life alongside questions that readers can recognise in their own experience. Canongate also publishes his children’s writing, while his reflective prose gives another route into his work.
The Midnight Train, published by Canongate in 2026, returns to the imaginative world of his best-known novel. A man has the chance to revisit important moments in his life, bringing time, memory and decisions together within a fictional story. The newest graphic edition of the earlier novel is adapted and illustrated by Fred Fordham; its full publication credit is in the quick facts above.
Where to start with their books
The Humans
A changed Cambridge mathematics professor finds ordinary human behaviour baffling, with a dog offering one exception to his dislike of the world. This novel uses an outsider’s gaze for readers interested in what seems strange, comic or precious about everyday life.
How to Stop Time
Tom Hazard looks forty-one but has lived for centuries, and now wants an ordinary life. The story offers a long view of love and belonging for readers who enjoy a fantastic premise joined to recognisable hopes.
Reasons to Stay Alive
This reflective non-fiction work is about coming through crisis and learning to live again. Choose it for Haig’s direct prose about making the most of life, taking the book at a pace that feels right for you.
Festival appearances
For tickets, use the host festival’s official box office. Confirm the date, venue and access details before paying.
Edinburgh hosted Matt Haig: The Midnight Train on 27 August in Venue T. Henley followed on 10 October at the Marquee at Phyllis Court, then Cheltenham on 17 October at the Cunard Stage in the Town Hall. The four stops offered readers a spring, summer or autumn visit around his fiction.
Where to see them next
No 2027 appearances announced yet. Check the festival guides for programme dates.
Plan your trip
If you are going with a friend, choose one question from your reading that you would like to return to after the event. It might be a choice a character makes or a passage you understood differently. You can share as much or as little of your own experience as feels comfortable.
Give yourselves a quiet interval between the conversation and the next part of the day, especially when a book has meant a great deal to you. Plan food and the homeward journey before arriving so you can stay with the discussion while you are in the room.
The 2026 programmes featured Matt Haig at Cheltenham Literature Festival, Edinburgh International Book Festival, Hay Festival, Henley Literary Festival; follow those guides for event information and practical visit details.
Were Haig’s events about fiction?
Use the festival links on Matt Haig’s profile for the event’s own ticket and audience guidance.
Must I read the newest book before hearing him?
You can enjoy hearing a story introduced before reading it, or come with questions after finishing. Pick the approach that preserves your pleasure in the novel, especially if you like discovering its turns for yourself.
How do I book to see Haig?
Tickets come from each festival’s own box office. Choose the session first, then use the relevant guide to plan the journey and any overnight stay. Contact the organiser before paying if you need help with access.
Can I go with a friend who reads different Haig books?
Yes. Fiction and non-fiction can bring different readers into the same conversation. Afterwards, comparing the books that first drew you to the writer may be as enjoyable as discussing what you have just heard.
