Hay-on-Wye

Hay-on-Wye is a small town on the border between Wales and England that hosts more than twenty bookshops specializing in areas ranging from rare editions to contemporary works. The shops spread along several streets in the center and fill former homes, cinemas, and even an old fire station.

Richard Booth opened the first second-hand bookshop in 1961, acquiring volumes from closing American libraries and laying the foundation for the literary direction. Over the following decades, more booksellers arrived, and in 1988 the annual literature festival began, continuing to the present day.

The name derives from Norman-French "La Haie," meaning enclosure, referring to the medieval fortification near the border. Many shop fronts still carry hand-painted signs with book titles or author names, making the literary character of the place visible to anyone walking through.

Most of the bookshops cluster on a few streets near the castle ruins and can be explored easily on foot. Many shops adjust their hours or close earlier on Thursdays due to the market, so visiting on other weekdays works better.

The Honesty Bookshop stands in the open air against the castle wall and lets visitors select books themselves and place money in a box, with no one supervising the process. On rainy days the shelves stay covered with tarpaulins that you push aside yourself.