Bestselling author Matt Haig, known for The Midnight Library and Reasons to Stay Alive, is opening a bookshop named Golden in Brighton's Seven Dials neighbourhood by Christmas. The area currently lacks a bookstore.
Haig's Vision for the Shop
In an Instagram post, Haig wrote: 'My belief, as someone who grew up in a town without a bookshop, is that all communities should have a bookshop, because bookshops save civilisation and make life interesting.' He emphasised that the shop 'will be about freedom.'
Haig stated: 'We won't be pushing things we don't want to push. Just good books. Curated by me and people I trust. Mind-bending books. Tearful books. Banned books. Fun books. Graphic novels. Kids' books. Grown-up books. Really cool music and art books. Books with words. Books that have no words but are really gorgeous to flick through. Books that are actually vinyl records. The best dead and living writers.'
Events and Atmosphere
There will be 'the occasional evening event,' Haig added, with 'no stuffy vibes. No genre snobbery. No high/low book classism.' Dogs will also be welcome at the shop.
Haig's Literary Background
Haig, born in Sheffield, has written over two dozen books for adults and children, including his 2015 breakthrough Reasons to Stay Alive, a memoir about living with depression.
Other Author-Owned Bookshops
Haig follows authors like Jeff Kinney (An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Massachusetts), Ann Patchett (Parnassus Books in Nashville, 2011), and George RR Martin (Beastly Books in Santa Fe) who have opened their own bookstores.
Support from Fellow Writers
Writers including Dawn O'Porter, Bonnie Garmus, and Donna Ashworth shared congratulations on Haig's announcement.
