📚 The UK's eccentric book-loving 'kingdom'
Hay-on-Wye's quirky literary haven and self-declared independent state
📋 Fast Facts
- Founded as a "kingdom" in 1977 by Richard Booth to revitalise the town's economy
- Home to numerous independent bookshops and one of the world's largest second-hand book markets
- Located on the Welsh-English border in Powys, Wales
- Hosts the renowned Hay Festival of Literature & Arts annually
Hay-on-Wye is a small market town on the border between Wales and England that became an unlikely cultural landmark through the entrepreneurial vision of one man. In 1977, Richard Booth, a local businessman and book enthusiast, declared the town an independent kingdom as a satirical response to economic decline and to draw attention to its potential as a literary destination. The audacious gesture succeeded beyond expectation, transforming Hay into a thriving hub for bibliophiles and attracting ...