Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Hay-on-Wye: The Town of Books

Honesty Bookshop
Photo by Deb Harding from the Hay-on-Wye website
Several weeks ago I was lazily browsing through random pictures on the web and a picture of bookshelves next to a wall that looked like it belonged at a castle caught my eye. Bookshelves? Outside? Next to a castle wall? I've never seen anything like that! A quick investigation showed that the picture wasn't a result of someone's photoshop-equipped wistfulness but an actual honesty-system bookstore in a small town of Hay-on-Wye in Wales, UK. And then I couldn't stop reading about this tiny town with a population of 1,500 in Southeastern Wales that boasts three dozen bookshops and a world-renown Hay Festival of Literature - the Sundance of book lovers.
The festival is a 10-day annual event that attracts 85,000 people from around the world who come to participate in some 500 events that take place in the tented festival village in late May - early June. What started out as a festival on the border between Wales and England grew to international proportions and now there are thirteen locations worldwide holding festivals of their own throughout the year. The official Hay Festivals website has plenty of information about all the events but if you want to visit the original festival in 2012 plan to be there May 31st to June 10th and to prepare visit the town's website, they have plenty of information on accommodations, attractions and activities to occupy your time outside of the festival.
If you don't like crowds, want to have your choice of lodging and prefer to quietly browse Hay's many bookstores there's plenty to do the rest of the year as well and judging by the photos online the town and the nearby areas are absolutely lovely and worth visiting. Here is an interesting article on the NY Times website by a writer who visited the area 2 months before the festival and it sounds like she and her husband had a wonderful time. The article was written in 2006 but I'm sure the spirit of the town and the people hasn't changed too drastically.

7 comments:

  1. I am now ashamed to be living in the UK but not visited yet!

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  2. All is not lost! And if you enjoy doing outdoorsy things like horseback riding and canoeing they appear to have you covered there too. It looks like an amazing destination for a short holiday, although I'd probably only visit the book shops :)

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  3. Now this is something I would love to see as well. Pretty neat.

    Wonder what they do with the books when it rains? :)

    Elizabeth

    http://silversolara.blogspot.com

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  4. New E-mail subscriber. Love your site.

    Elizabeth

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  5. That's what I wonder about as well, Elizabeth! I read somewhere that it rains more than usual there so it must be a real chore to keep those books dry.

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  6. I love Hay and try to visit at least once every year I always come home with some great books.

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  7. PS there is also a Scottish Book town http://www.wigtown-booktown.co.uk/ I've only visited once but really enjoyed it.

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