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Another bookstore sign proclaimed:

“. . .IN THE MEANTIME, LET PEOPLE
STIR THEIR STICKS AND GO TO AN
ACTUAL BOOKSTORE RATHER THAN
A DIGITAL ONE. . . .Stephen King.” ~

Bookstore sign at Hay-on-Wye

priced at 400 pounds (about $600). (today, semi-retired, he owns The King Tony Blair, John Major, Jimmy Carter,
of Hay Bookshop on Castle Street). His Doris Lessing, Bill Bryson, Toni Morri-
Known, not surprisingly, as “The Town vision was to create the largest second- son, Judith Dench, Desmond Tutu, Ari-
of Books,” Hay-on-Wye (called Y Gel- hand book center in the world. anna Huffington and John Updike. (The
li—“The Grove”--in Welsh) is about 175 next one is May 26 to June 5, 2016).
miles from London. No longer served And he pretty much did just that. Grad-
by trains, it takes a bit of planning to get ually more enterprising bibliophiles Hay booksellers acquire secondhand
to Hay, unless you have a rental car. with dreams of owning secondhand books from all over—via donations or
bookshops opened them in Hay, con- sales from old country houses, schools,
Set near the River Wye in the foothills verting old buildings into a haven libraries, individuals. And some sell via
of the Black Mountains—near the Gold- for book lovers. Through advertising the Internet, shipping books all over the
en Valley, touching Brecon Beacons Na- and publicity gimmicks, the popular- world.
tional Park, and boasting vivid green ity spread, and people now come from
hills with grazing sheep—it’s the ideal around the world to visit tiny Hay-on- “But there’s nothing like actually brows-
place for outdoor lovers. It’s perfect for Wye on a literary pilgrimage. ing in a bookshop, holding a book in
those who want to take a stroll, go cy- your hand,” one owner told me as shop-
cling, hiking, camping, or canoeing—or “The Hay,” as it’s fondly dubbed by long- pers milled around the tiny store.
who simply want a fresh-air break from time locals, has been known as a biblio-
reading! phile’s paradise ever since. “You can lose yourself in a shop,” add-
ed Cardiff-based Blue Badge guide Bill
The earliest known reference to the town On April Fool’s Day, 1977, the beloved, O’Keefe, who laments that he never can
was a 944 A.D. survey—but it wasn’t eccentric Booth—fed up with local po- visit the town without taking a handful
until the 12th century that it was given litical bureaucracy—proclaimed Hay an of books home, much to his wife’s dis-
the name of La Haie (meaning “a fenced independent kingdom, crowning him- tress over where to put them all.
or hedged enclosure”)—then became self King of Hay (his horse was dubbed
Hay-on-Wye in 1947. Due to its loca- prime minister). He later got on the
tion, Hay was the site of many battles. book bandwagon himself, writing “My IF YOU GO

Its castle was founded in the early 13th Kingdom of Books” (with Lucia Stuart).
century—and then destroyed in 1216. For more information on the town’s
In later generations it was destroyed by Hay-on-Wye became even more fa- bookshops, activities, accommodation,
fires or uprisings—and rebuilt numer- mous in 1988, when the Hay Festival restaurants, and directions: www.hay-
ous times--as various tenants came and of Literature and Arts was founded by on-wye.co.uk
went. Most recently it’s the site of one locals Norman and Peter Florence with
of the town’s largest bookshops, Hay winnings from a poker game. An event Hay-on-Wye bookshops: http://www.
Castle Books. which really put Hay-on-Wye on the hay-on-wye.co.uk/bookshops/default.
map, it has been referred to by the The asp
On the castle ground’s cubbyhole book- New York Times as “a literary Sundance
shelves, I was amused to see a sign tout- festival.” Today up to 100,000 swell the The Hay Festival of Literature: May 26
ing, “Honesty Bookshop; Paperbacks tiny town for 10 days each spring to at- to June 5, 2016: www.hayfestival.com
50p, Hardbacks 1 pound. Please put tend the festival, where they can be en-
money into box.” An arrow pointed to tertained and educated by book authors, Blue Badge guide Bill O’Keefe: www.
the small, hanging red box. actors, politicians, scientists, philoso- planetwales.co.uk
phers, poets, musicians, and comedians.
It was book lover Richard Booth, a col- For additional information: www.amer-
orful Oxford grad--a collector of books Previous celeb authors and speakers icas.visitwales.com, www.visitwales.
since age 14--who started this all. In have included Bill Clinton (who referred com and www.visitbritain.com
1962, he converted Hay’s old fire sta- to the festival as “The Woodstock of the
tion into a used bookstore, gradually Mind”), Paul McCartney (who read po-
opening other bookshops around town etry), J. K. Rowling, Salman Rushdie,

Wine Dine & Travel 2016 87