Hay-on-Wye--A Literary Gem

Although it is not well known to the rest of the world, there is more than one reigning monarch in the British Isles. King Richard I lives in his castle, surrounded by droves of his subjects--in fact, he even had a re-coronation to celebrate his twenty-first year on the throne. But don't start skimming the pages of tabloids, looking for a royal family scandal that you may have missed somewhere along the line. King Richard has nothing to do with the Windsor family or blueblood British royal lineage, but he is certainly what one would call a natural born publicist. And despite his rather eccentric nature, he had a vision which brought worldwide fame to a declining Welsh town, and at the same time, revitalized the economy in a way no one could have ever perceived.

During the 1960s, Hay-on-Wye resembled many towns which dot the countryside in England and Wales: Population hovering at about one thousand, quaint brick homes, small shops--Hay sits near the English border, nestled on the leeward side of the Black Mountains, on a bend of the Wye river at the northern peak of Brecon Beacons National Park. Also like many towns who have seen their prime come and go, Hay was in a state of decline, and revitalization for this little market town did not seem likely. But Richard Booth, who had come to Hay-on-Wye in 1961, decided that there was potential here. He purchased the ruined Norman castle and on April 1, 1977, declared Hay-on-Wye's independence from the United Kingdom--and crowned himself the emperor-king.

The move generated a great deal of publicity. Booth believed that the central government has little interest in helping to revitalize the town's economy, and felt that making it an "independent nation" would help uplift the town's spirit--and as for uplifting the town's economy, he declared Hay-on-Wye to be "booktown."

Being a good four-hour drive from London, Hay- on-Wye was an unlikely candidate for becoming Britain's most famous literary center. But in the 21 years since "independence" Hay-on-Wye has indeed, become a renowned booktown, with Richard Booth, alias King Richard, as its founding father. Hay-on-Wye is once again a flourishing lively town, and the booktown movement has spread internationally to other towns across Europe.

Today there are 25 dealers resident in the town, operating over 30 retail outlets. Second hand books is the name of the game, and their combined stock is well over one million volumes. The Old Cinema , which opened on the premises of a former movie theater, is by far the largest in town, housing about 200,000 volumes covering a wide variety of subjects. This is where booktown began, where Richard Booth started a tiny secondhand bookshop in the early 1960s, and now is considered one of the largest in the world.

Most of the stores are smaller, though, and specialize. Boz Books, for example, only sells works by Dickens; Lion Street Books specializes in books on boxing, as well as boxing posters, magazines and anything related to the subject. If you're looking for valuable and antiquarian English language books, this is the place to be. If you're seeking that special book from childhood memories, or an out of print gardening book that your grandmother read as a child, or an obscure Cold War thriller written by an even more obscure author, chances are, you'll find it in this town. And if it's not physically on the premises, chances are again, one of the booksellers can locate a copy for you.

Every May, Hay-on-Wye celebrates its love of books by bringing bibliophiles together from all over the world when it holds its Festival of Literature. In late summer, there is also a Jazz Festival. And as for King Richard, he really does live in his castle--sort of. Only the gatehouse and ruined walls remain of the old Norman castle, so he's had to build a few add ons.

Since Hay-on-Wye was such a success, the potential exists for other small towns in need of a literary and economic boost. Montolieu, a medieval town located in the south of France, in the region of Languedoc-Rossillon which borders Spain and the Mediterranean, has about two dozen booksellers. Most of the books are French language, although there are three bookstores which sell English language books. In the tiny Ardennes village of Redu, Belgium, there are as many book shops - 24 - as there are children. The 400 inhabitants have been stunned by the stores' revenue potential, with the village drawing 300,000 visitors every year. There are three book villages in France and one each in the Netherlands, Finland, Norway and Switzerland, and in Germany, the town of Muhlbeck may become next on the list. Located half-way between Berlin and Dresden, the town suffers from general economic depression and unemployment. A few bookstores may be just what the economy ordered.

A Few Good Links

Official tourist site for Wales--everything you want to know about travel to Wales.

Hay-on-Wye--explore the town through photographs--a great new site well worth visiting.

Welsh language information--about Welsh language, very comprehensive.

Hay-on-Wye Town Website,--lots of info on the town, the bookstores, lodging, restaurants.

Booksellers Association--a listing and description of all of the bookstores in town.

Books About Wales

The Best Bed & Breakfast in England, Scotland & Wales 1998-99 (Serial) by Sigourney Welles, Jill Darbey, Joanna Mortimer--the title says it all.

A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, Trina Schart Hyman--Probably Wales' best known poet (outside of Wales) and this is one of his most endearing works.

Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas 1934-1952 by Dylan Thomas--a collection of some of his best works.

Dylan Thomas Reads a Child's Christmas in Wales and Five Poems/Cd by Dylan Thomas--read by the poet himself, and a great read it is.

Cottages, B&Bs and Country Inns of England and Wales: Published in Great Britain As Staying Off the Beaten Track (Sotbt) by Elizabeth Gundrey, Walter Gundrey, Jacqueline Krendel (Editor)

The Best of Britain's Countryside : The Heart of England and Wales : A Driving and Walking Itinerary (The Two-Week Traveler Series)by Bill North, Gwen North

The Farm Holiday Guide to Holidays in England, Wales & Ireland, 1998 (Serial)--if you're looking for a rural adventure.

Frommer's Complete Hostel Vacation Guide to England, Wales & Scotland by Kristina Cordero, Frommer, George McDonald--traveling the low budget route.

A History of Wales by John Davies--a good history of the country.

Colloquial Welsh : A Complete Language Course/Book and 2 Cassettes ( Colloquial) by Gareth King, Gary King--take a stab at learning the local language.

A Journey Through Wales, published by Steven Hill Books

How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn--the beautifully written, sad and sentimental story of a Welsh coal mining family.

Michelin Green Guide Wales (1st Ed)--one of the Michelin series of guide books.

Snowdonia and North Wales (Aa/Ordnance Survey Leisure Guide)--covers the north of Wales.

The Mabinogi, and Other Medieval Welsh Tales by Patrick K. Ford (Editor)--a great basic text for learning about Welsh folklore and myths. The Taff Trail : Official Guide by Jeff Vinter--A stage-by-stage tourbook to a popular walking and cycling trail in southern Wales, from the capital,Caerdydd, north to Brecon in the mountains

Wales : The Rough Guide (Rough Guides) by Mike Parker, Paul Whitfield--one of the excellent Rough Guide travel books.

Wales (Blue Guides)by John Tomes--part of the Blue Guide series, comprehensive guide for tourists.

More great books are available from Amazon.com.

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