‘No stuffy vibes … just good books’: Matt Haig to open bookshop in Brighton

‘My belief, as someone who grew up in a town without a bookshop, is that all communities should have one,’ says author of The Midnight Library Matt Haig, the bestselling author of titles including The Midnight Library and Reasons to Stay Alive, is opening a bookshop in Brighton. The writer plans to open the shop, called Golden, by Christmas. It is located in the Seven Dials neighbourhood, a part of the coastal city that doesn’t currently have a bookshop. “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,” the author wrote on Instagram this week, adding that the shop “will be about freedom”. “We won’t be pushing things we don’t want to push,” he said. “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.” There will be “the occasional evening