I do hope to meet some of you at one of these events this year:

Monday 2nd March, Writers and Artists masterclass, in celebration of World Book Day, Bloomsbury, London

Wednesday 4^th March, 5×15 event, London

Friday 6th March, Waterstones New Street, Birmingham

Tuesday 10th March, Glasgow event in partnership with Mind & Scottish Mental Health Foundation

Wednesday 11^th March, 7.30pm, Huddersfield Literature Festival, Bar 1:22, 120 New Street, Castlegate, Huddersfield HD1 2UD

Thursday 12th March, Foyles Charing Cross, chaired by Cathy Retzenbrink, London

Friday 13th March, Waterstones Manchester

Saturday 14th March, Waterstones Cardiff

Tuesday 17th March, Waterstones Doncaster

Wednesday 18th March, Waterstones Leeds

Thursday 19th March, Waterstones Preston

Friday 21st March, 3pm, SICK festival, Brighton, panel event, The Basement

Monday 23rd March, York Literature Festival, York Waterstones

Tuesday 24th March, Brighton City Books 

Thursday 26th March, Blackwells Portsmouth

Saturday 27th March, Owestry Book Festival

Monday 6^th April, 8pm, Edinburgh Science Festival, ‘Dialogues’ Latelab

Thursday 9th April, Manchester event in partnership with Mind & Scottish Mental Health Foundation

Saturday 18^th April, Cambridge Word Fest

Saturday 25th April, Chipping Norton Lit Fest

Wednesday 13^th May, Derbyshire Literature Festival

Thursday 14th May, London event in partnership with Mind & Scottish Mental Health Foundation

22^nd May – 1^st June, Hay Festival

My new book is called Reasons to Stay Alive. It’s out on March 5th in UK published by Canongate. Here’s the cover:

This is the blurb from the book:

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FEEL TRULY ALIVE?

Aged 24, Matt Haig’s world caved in. He could see no way to go on living. This is the true story of how he came through crisis, triumphed over an illness that almost destroyed him and learned to live again.

A moving, funny and joyous exploration of how to live better, love better and feel more alive, Reasons to Stay Alive is more than a memoir. It is a book about making the most of your time on earth.

‘I wrote this book because the oldest clichés remain the truest. Time heals. The bottom of the valley never provides the clearest view. The tunnel does have light at the end of it, even if we haven’t been able to see it . . . Words, just sometimes, really can set you free.’

It’s getting some lovely early reviews:

“For anyone who has faced the black dog, or felt despair, this marvellous book is a real comfort, dealing sympathetically with depression, written with candour and from first-hand experience. I think it is a small masterpiece. It might even save lives” JOANNA LUMLEY

It’s going to be published in America by Viking, Germany by DTV, Canada by Harper Collins.

The UK paperback edition of Echo Boy will be published on March 26th by Corgi.

Lots of people have been saying very nice things about it:

‘highly original page turner’ Independent on Sunday

‘a cracking plot with profound philosophical questions about what it is to be human. Fearless and beautifully written, it confirms Haig as one of our best new writers of speculative fiction.’ New Statesman

Echo Boy is an exciting SF thriller, but also a rich and deeply felt exploration of the line that separates humans – creatures of love, passion, fear and hate – from mere organic simulations. The Guardian

‘It’s a treat to read such a satisfying, complex work…’ FT

‘The thrilling plot is one of betrayal, power and greed, but the theme is what makes us human — and at what cost we ignore it. I predict a sequel . . .’ Daily Mail

‘Poignant and thought-provoking.’ The Bookseller

‘A page-turning mega thriller you won’t be able to put down.’ 5/5 Flipside magazine

The book has been optioned by Tanya Seghatchian.

Humans: An A-Z is published by Canongate (UK, Jan, 2015).

Do you: Know a human?; Love a human?; Have trouble dealing with humans? If you’ve answered yes to any of the above, this book is for you. Whether you are planning a high level of human interaction or just a casual visit to the planet, this user-guide to the human race will help you translate their sayings, understand exotic concepts such as ‘democracy’ and ‘sofas’, and make sense of their habits and bizarre customs. A phrase book, a dictionary and a survival guide, this book unravels all the oddness, idiosyncrasies and wonder of the species, allowing everyone to make the most of their time on Earth.

It will be published in German (DTV), Polish (PWN) and Chinese (Xiron).

Here’s a video I made. It’s a slightly tragic insight into the life of a self-absorbed writer.