Virgin Radio
August 27, 2024, 4:03 p.m.
Bestselling author Matt Haig returns with his latest novel, The Life Impossible, and tells the story of a writer’s strange life, his love of sober bars, and why he takes it all with surprising calm.
Matt Haig, the literary wizard behind bestsellers such as The Midnight Library and Reasons to Stay Alive, is back and this time he’s bringing a bit of Ibiza magic with him.
After four years away from the spotlight, Haig is ready to unleash his latest creation, “The Life Impossible.”
But don’t expect him to tremble like a rabbit in the headlights. Despite his four-year break, the Brighton author is approaching his return to the literary circuit with unexpected composure.
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“I thought I was terrified after four years away,” Haig admitted on the Ryan Tubridy Show on Virgin Radio.
“I feel like I’m in the firing line, but I’ve actually handled it pretty calmly for my standards.”
For an author known for his neurotic tendencies and deep dives into the human psyche, this newfound calm represents a small, unexpected twist in the plot.
He continued: “You know, I’m a neurotic person, but I’m actually pretty much in my comfort zone right now. It seems to be OK, and it’s nice to have face-to-face conversations. I feel like a hermit coming out of his cave.”
Haig, who has sold over three million books worldwide, has always been someone who explores the quirky side of life – and being a writer is no exception.
Haig describes the life of a writer as “completely lonely and introspective” and does not hide why he considers writers to be a strange bunch.
“It’s because you live this weird life where you’re kind of introverted and then you’re kind of forced to go on tour and perform,” he explained.
“I think that’s why writers are so strange,” Haig joked.
But this time Haig takes the matter calmly.
“I’ve actually been pretty relaxed about it this time,” he said. And why? Well, because he wrote The Life Impossible for the “right reasons.”
Haig continued, “You can get a little lost… if you worry too much about what people think or what they expect of you, and you’re writing with one eye on the reader, so to speak.”
After the resounding success of The Midnight Library, Haig decided to take a break from writing to recharge his creative batteries.
He even toyed with the idea of opening a bookstore – the classic writer’s dream – or a bar in his hometown of Brighton.
“I’m one of those disgusting teetotalers who gets all excited about the joys of life,” joked Haig, who is well aware that his sober lifestyle is not for everyone (with herbs).
But fortunately for his readers, the dream of a bookstore never came true, and the idea of a sober bar remained on ice.
“With my ADHD brain, I wouldn’t be very good at running a business, and I’m not a multitasker, so I think I’m a natural writer,” he admitted.
Instead, after a 20-year break, Haig found himself back in Ibiza, where inspiration struck him like a lightning bolt.
“I thought I was writing this for myself. Some people will hate it, some people might like it, but I’m writing it just for myself.”
And so “The Life Impossible” was born – a novel that promises to be as enchanting and introspective as Haig’s earlier works.
The story is about retired math teacher Grace, who inherits a mysterious, dilapidated house on a Mediterranean island from a long-lost friend.
With no plan and a one-way street, Grace plunges headlong into the unknown and uncovers secrets stranger than she could have ever imagined.
“What looks like magic is simply a part of life that we do not yet understand,” says the book’s synopsis – an attitude that could also well describe Haig’s own path as a writer.
For Grace, the adventure is just beginning, and for Haig, this novel is an opportunity to remind readers (and perhaps himself) that sometimes the best stories are the ones we write for ourselves.
