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Hay-on-Wye attracts a large number of book lovers looking for discounted books, with over 40 shops primarily selling used books. The town is also home to the Hay Literature Festival, which brings together around 80,000 authors, publishers, and literature enthusiasts from around the world at the end of May each year.
It all began in 1961 when Richard Booth opened his first secondhand bookstore in Hay in an old fire station. He traveled to America, where libraries were gradually closing, bought books there, and shipped them back to Hay-on-Wye. Over time, similar secondhand bookstores sprang up throughout Hay. By 1970, Hay had become the world-renowned "town of books." Today, the town attracts around 500,000 tourists annually.
Among the many bookstores in Hay, the most wonderful and interesting are known as "Honesty Bookshops." There's nothing more than shelves of books, no manager or caretaker. Customers choose their books and drop the money into a small box.
There is such a place in Hay Castle – a 12th-century fort in the heart of town. This bookstore is open-air, consisting of stacked wooden shelves leaning against the castle walls. Paperback books cost 10 pounds (approximately 3,000 VND), while hardcover books cost 1 pound (approximately 30,000 VND). After selecting a book, customers drop money into a small box at the front, through a white slot marked "Pay Here".
Since 1988, Hay on Wye has hosted the Hay Festival of Literature & Arts, attracting renowned writers such as David Simon, Stephen Fry, Salman Rushdie, and Simon Singh over the years. In 2001, former U.S. President Bill Clinton described it as "The Woodstock of the mind." In recent years, the festival has expanded to include musical performances and film screenings.
Ngoc Anh
