Hay-on-Wye

Straddling the border of England and Wales, Hay-on-Wye (pop. 1,300) is Europe's largest permanent used-book market, with about 60 bookshops selling all kinds of publications imaginable. The village's first second-hand bookshop opened by in 1961. Its owner, Richard Booth, started from the concept that buying books from all over the world will bring customers from all over the world. He was right. Other bookshops quickly followed suit, and in the 1970's Hay had become the world's first Book Town.

On 1 April 1977, Hay-on-Wye famously declared itself independent from the United Kingdom, with Richard Booth, the first local bookseller and owner of the ruined 900-year old Hay Castle, as its new king. Hay's "king" now sells low-cost "peerages" to perplexed visitors.

The Hay Festival of Literature & Arts has been held for 10 days each years since 1988 (late May to early June). It was described by Bill Clinton in 2001 as "The Woodstock of the mind". It now draws some 100,000 visitors during these few days. The event has been sponsored by The Guardian newspaper since 2002.

Hay-on-Wye has inspired the creation of copy-cat book towns around world, for instance in the equally tiny Belgian village of Redu, near Luxembourg. Sister short-term festivals have sprung up in Parc Prison in Bridgend (Wales), Belfast, Segovia, Cartagena, the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Beirut, Nairobi, the Maldives, Kerala, and Zacatecas (Mexico).

How to get there

Nestled just off the A438 between Brecon and Hereford, Hay-on-Wye is accessible by several transport options. By car, visitors can take the M40 to Oxford then follow the A40 via Cheltenham and Gloucester to Ross-on-Wye, before taking the A49 to Hereford and finally the A438 towards Brecon. Alternatively, from London, take the M4 over the Severn Bridge to Junction 24 at Newport, then follow the A449 and A40 to Abergavenny, continuing on the A40 until after Crickhowell before turning right onto the A479 to Talgarth. By public transport, the nearest railway station is Hereford, approximately 21 miles away, from where regular bus services operate to Hay-on-Wye. The T14 bus service runs from Hereford to Hay-on-Wye several times daily Monday to Saturday, with the 39A service providing Sunday connections. By coach, National Express operates services from major cities, with connections available via Hereford. During the renowned Hay Festival, special shuttle bus services run between Hereford railway station and the town, making the journey particularly convenient for festival-goers.