Tag Archives: James Hanning

The Bookseller of Hay by James Hanning is a biography of Richard Booth, the second-hand bookseller who helped establish Hay-on-Wye as the book town of Wales. To say that Booth, the self-proclaimed King of Hay, was a bit of a character is something of an understatement. His various eccentricities, ambiguities and contradictions make him an intriguing subject for a biography, with examples of extreme generosity and determination as well as callousness and selfishness. Although Booth wasn’t involved in the development of the Hay Festival, it seems unlikely that this major annual event would exist in Hay without his early support for the second-hand book trade in the town. I particularly enjoyed reading about Booth’s colourful life in the 1960s and 1970s among the many recognisable landmarks in Hay. Many thanks to Little Brown Book Group for sending me a review copy via NetGalley. Continue reading →