Join the webchat with author Matt Haig: Monday 9 July, 9pm

[RachelMumsnet]

Book club special: We’re joined by author Matt Haig on Monday 9 July between 9 and 10pm when he will be talking about his latest book: Notes on a Nervous Planet as well as his other fiction and non-fiction titles, including Reasons to Stay Alive, How To Stop Time (currently being made into a film starring Benedict Cumberbatch) and his best-selling children’s book A Boy Called Christmas.

Reasons To Stay Alive charted Matt’s breakdown at the age of 24 and how he came through crisis and triumphed over an illness that almost destroyed him. Notes on a Nervous Planet looks at the link between anxiety and the world we live in. Thought-provoking, funny and honest, the book offers practical advice alongside his personal insights and meditations.

Join Matt on Monday at 9pm - or post up a Q for him on this thread in advance. Join the chat for chance to win one of FOUR copies of Notes on a Nervous Planet. Names will be pulled out of the hat and announced just after the webchat.

@NicHay

What support do you think schools can offer young people to help them cope with the pressures they are under?

Hi Nic! I think schools at the moment aren't getting mental health right. It's not the fault of individual schools and teachers it's more about government policy and our collective priorities. The continuous testing -SATS and mocks and everything else - is, imho, ludicrous and it has real health consequences. My mum was a headteacher for 40 years. She's just retired. In that time she saw schools go from being about the child to about being a competitive market place, where bureaucracy and form-filling was rife. I think kids need more support, I think there should - at the very least - be a mental health and wellbeing afternoon each week for pupils. Another pressure of course is social media. Kids are expected to be 'always on' by their peers. We need to create spaces in the day for kids to feel free, away from the pressures of friends and teachers.

Thank you for answering my question Matt.

@HermanCakeDestroyer

Actually Matt, I have just thought of a question. I have a friend whose teenage daughter has an eating disorder. I don’t know if you’ve ever had any experience of eating disorders but it would be helpful for me to learn how to support someone with this disorder/mental health issue. Is this a topic you would ever explore?

Hi again. Yes, have written a couple of chapters on eating disorders and body image in Notes on a Nervous Planet (the new book). Eating disorders are, to a degree, cultural. They are shaped by what we see, and what ideals we have. Boys are increasingly feeling physically inadequate too, so their rates are rising. TV and Instagram and magazines are major cultural factors. It's intrinsically tied to self-esteem and anxiety too. Reduce the anxiety, reduce the disorder - easier said than done of course! It's very hard to know how to fix it on a one-to-one basis but there are amazing charities like Eating Disorder Hope which have useful information. And the NHS is of course, the main place.

@Amaksy

Such a varied range of writing, what moves you to a particular topic? Or maybe the question really is whats next? another children's book in the pipeline?

Hi Amasky! YES! Anoker kid's book IS in the pipeline. I am writing a book right now - well not RIGHT now - called EVIE AND THE ANIMALS. It's about a girl who hears the telepathic thoughts of animals. I'm having so much fun with it. The kids books are such an escape for me.

Hi Matt,
I totally agree with your reply to NicHay. However, My daughter starts her school day with a session of mindfulness during tutor time each day. She is 15 years old. To begin with she said ‘oh no not mindfulness again - it’s so boring’. Now with exams recently she adopts mindfulness to help with anxiety and also uses it to get to sleep in the evening.
Maybe a culture change is needed.

@MumOfMattHaigFan

Hi Matt, my children are huge fans of yours and my daughter (who has read all but one of your children’s books) has a question for you:

Dear Matt Haig, you’re awesome but I wanted to know why you always kill someone in your books. Love from Eleanor, age 8

I’m going to honest, she’s been wanting to write and ask you this for ages, but bad Mummy hasn’t found an address, so it would really, really (please, please, please) help me out if you could answer this! Thank you!

PS. I loved How to Stop Time

Ha! Hello! I LOVE THIS. Well, tell Eleanor that I often have sad things happen early on or in the middle of my books, because I think in a weird way this can actually make them happier. I mean, if you take a character who has something sad happen to them you can then show how they can survive anything and go on to have great adventures and a happy life, despite everything.

@ChickenDinnerChecky

Hi Matt, I have tickets to see you on Wednesday evening. I wondered if you are going ahead with it still due to the England game? My kids would kill me if I didn’t watch it with them but I’m really gutted!

Really enjoy your books and as PP can identify with you and your struggles.

Yes the event - in Ely, Cambridgeshire - is still going ahead! But I TOTALLY understand if you aren't there!

Thanks for answering my question Matt.
I haven’t got that far in notes on a nervous planet yet but I look forward to reading that topic.
Sorry for chipping in so much - it’s just a topic I find very interesting

@cloudtree

Does a truth pixie have a very high voice or a very low voice? We always do very high but would be interested in your take.

I also loved The Humans. I have recommended it to so many people. Keep going, we need more!

Hi CloudTree! The Truth Pixie is my favourite character to write and she has been in all three of my Christmas books. I can confirm that she does INDEED have a high voice, but not RIDICULOUSLY high. Though whatever works for you.

Ps. I have written a smaller picture book called THE TRUTH PIXIE and it will be out this very October! x

@HermanCakeDestroyer

Hi Matt, I totally agree with your reply to NicHay. However, My daughter starts her school day with a session of mindfulness during tutor time each day. She is 15 years old. To begin with she said ‘oh no not mindfulness again - it’s so boring’. Now with exams recently she adopts mindfulness to help with anxiety and also uses it to get to sleep in the evening. Maybe a culture change is needed.

Yes, absolutely. We need to rethink mental health across the board. It needs to be the number one priority.

Hi Matt. My 6 year old Evie will be so excited to hear about your new book! She loved the Christmas series.

I love the theme that your books have in common - that of outsiders trying to fit in - and find that very personal as a long-time sufferer of depression myself. Is this a conscious thing when you begin writing the books or does it come up kind of organically?

Thanks for your reply. I agree more support is needed but sadly I worry schools are becoming more and more about results with increasing funding pressures.

Hi Matt, just thought of another question. Is there a particular time of day you like to write and do you follow a strict routine?

@fruitpastille

I have really enjoyed your fiction books without exception. I may try the non fiction now.

How did you get started with writing?

Ah, well I started writing properly when I was an agoraphobic wreck in my 20s. It was the only thing I could do! I wrote bits of freelance journalism. Then my girlfriend's mum was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and we went up to look after her through the chemotherapy. She recovered well and is still here, but anyway, I had a lot of empty time on my hands so started to write a novel to cheer me up. I then sent it off to agents and one took me on. That novel was called The Last Family in England.

Really interesting thread thanks Matt 💐

@GrouchyKiwi

Hi Matt. My 6 year old Evie will be so excited to hear about your new book! She loved the Christmas series.

I love the theme that your books have in common - that of outsiders trying to fit in - and find that very personal as a long-time sufferer of depression myself. Is this a conscious thing when you begin writing the books or does it come up kind of organically?

Hi GrouchyKiwi! It happens naturally. I have always felt like an outsider. In fact when I was a teen my fave read was a book called THE OUTSIDERS. I think mental illness makes you feel on the outside, even if you look like you fit in. But even when I am not ill, I never feel like I fit in anywhere. But that comes in handy for a writer. It means you can observe from the outside a little.

Thanks so much everyone! Fantastic questions. Hope I did them justice. Lovely to chat to you. I am out of time now, but feel free to say hi on Twitter (@matthaig1) or Instagram (@mattzhaig). Thanks all. Night.

Thank you. Very much enjoyed the chat

Sadly that brings us to the end the hour. Thanks so much Matt for giving us your time this evening and getting through so many questions. Good luck with Evie and The Animals and all your other books - and please do join us again.

Congratulations to Obiandmillie, willmunny, NicHay and Bakingberry who have each won a copy of Notes on a Nervous Planet. Thanks to everyone for the questions and for joining us tonight.

Thanks, Matt and MNHQ, and congrats to the book winners, you lucky things!

A very belated thank you to Matt for answering my daughter’s question. I can’t wait to show her the answer tomorrow morning

Thanks Matt. I read The last family in England a while ago and only belatedly realised that it was written by you after reading your more recent novels. I always eye up dog breeds in a different way now