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The Bookseller of Hay: The Life and Times of Richard Booth
'A breathtakingly hilarious and absorbing portrait of one of the most brilliant, dotty, dippy delirious yet ultimately inspiring eccentrics in British history . . . A remarkable story of cultural life, friendship, obsession and passion' Stephen Fry
'Brilliantly evocative, like listening to the gossip of ghosts' Bruce Robinson
'The Bookseller of Hay is the very model of a biography which amazes, occasionally horrifies and entirely engrosses . . . James Hanning is a writer of sublime insight, style and skill' Horatio Clare
'What you have to understand is that Richard Booth was completely mad' Marianne Faithfull
In 1962, a young man left university without a degree and, for want of anything better to do, bought a small shop in an obscure market town on the edge of the Brecon Beacons. Within fifteen years, largely through force of personality, Richard Booth had created the world's largest second-hand bookshop, attracting thousands of visitors from across the globe to Hay-on-Wye, on the Welsh border.
The Bookseller of Hay tells the tale of an extraordinary, chaotic man, a true British eccentric, who invented the term 'book town', attracted a coterie of exotic and illustrious followers, crowned himself king, declared the town's independence and provided the bookish backdrop which - to his frustration - allowed a rival attraction, the now world-famous Hay Festival, to flourish.
It is a story of the extraordinary singlemindedness of a hard-working, hard-playing and rebellious son of privilege, inspired by a romantic vision and a deep love of the area, of a man better suited to publicity than bean-counting, who launched countless careers but whose business instincts undermined precisely what had brought success. Booth was a deeply divisive figure, but love him or hate him, all agree on one thing. He put Hay on the map.
James Hanning, a frequent visitor to Hay since the 1960s, has interviewed dozens of local people and booksellers and with typical acuity wonderfully captures this bygone era of eccentricity and excess.
'Brilliantly evocative, like listening to the gossip of ghosts' Bruce Robinson
'The Bookseller of Hay is the very model of a biography which amazes, occasionally horrifies and entirely engrosses . . . James Hanning is a writer of sublime insight, style and skill' Horatio Clare
'What you have to understand is that Richard Booth was completely mad' Marianne Faithfull
In 1962, a young man left university without a degree and, for want of anything better to do, bought a small shop in an obscure market town on the edge of the Brecon Beacons. Within fifteen years, largely through force of personality, Richard Booth had created the world's largest second-hand bookshop, attracting thousands of visitors from across the globe to Hay-on-Wye, on the Welsh border.
The Bookseller of Hay tells the tale of an extraordinary, chaotic man, a true British eccentric, who invented the term 'book town', attracted a coterie of exotic and illustrious followers, crowned himself king, declared the town's independence and provided the bookish backdrop which - to his frustration - allowed a rival attraction, the now world-famous Hay Festival, to flourish.
It is a story of the extraordinary singlemindedness of a hard-working, hard-playing and rebellious son of privilege, inspired by a romantic vision and a deep love of the area, of a man better suited to publicity than bean-counting, who launched countless careers but whose business instincts undermined precisely what had brought success. Booth was a deeply divisive figure, but love him or hate him, all agree on one thing. He put Hay on the map.
James Hanning, a frequent visitor to Hay since the 1960s, has interviewed dozens of local people and booksellers and with typical acuity wonderfully captures this bygone era of eccentricity and excess.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 4, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 9, 2025
This was a thoroughly enjoyable biography of Richard Booth, the man behind turning Hay-on-Wye into the world's first book town. I didn't know anything about Richard Booth,and what a fascinating character he was. I'm fact many of the people he associated with were eccentrics, bohemians, artists, and various other colourful characters. I have always known Gay as a book town, and yet had never heard that it had declared itself independent, with Richard Booth as it's King. I will have to take a trip there when I have a day off, it has been a long time since I went, and this has inspired me to make the effort.
*Many thanks to Netgally and the publishers for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
*Many thanks to Netgally and the publishers for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*
August 2, 2026
Hard to get into for the first 20%, but a v good portrait of the people living in hay in its heyday - definitely would recommend before visiting etc x
September 26, 2025
Having recently spent a week near Hay-on-Wye and visiting the village several times, I really enjoyed reading The Bookseller of Hay. The book focuses mainly on Richard Booth—the self-styled “King of Hay”—whose eccentric vision and relentless energy turned a sleepy Welsh border town into the world’s secondhand book capital.
It’s a fascinating portrait of a man who was equal parts dreamer, showman, and entrepreneur. The author captures Booth’s larger-than-life personality with affection but also honesty, showing both his brilliance and his flaws. As I wandered through Hay, I got a real kick out of visiting the bookshops and the castle that feature so prominently in the book.
Many of the people who surrounded Richard—his friends, employees, and romantic partners—come across as fascinating characters in their own right, each adding colour and personality to the story of Hay’s remarkable transformation.
At times, the narrative lingers a bit too long on the finer details, but that’s a small price to pay for such a rich look at a genuinely unique figure.
Overall, The Bookseller of Hay is an engaging and insightful read—especially rewarding if you’ve experienced Hay-on-Wye yourself. It’s a fitting tribute to the man who made the town synonymous with books. 4 stars.
It’s a fascinating portrait of a man who was equal parts dreamer, showman, and entrepreneur. The author captures Booth’s larger-than-life personality with affection but also honesty, showing both his brilliance and his flaws. As I wandered through Hay, I got a real kick out of visiting the bookshops and the castle that feature so prominently in the book.
Many of the people who surrounded Richard—his friends, employees, and romantic partners—come across as fascinating characters in their own right, each adding colour and personality to the story of Hay’s remarkable transformation.
At times, the narrative lingers a bit too long on the finer details, but that’s a small price to pay for such a rich look at a genuinely unique figure.
Overall, The Bookseller of Hay is an engaging and insightful read—especially rewarding if you’ve experienced Hay-on-Wye yourself. It’s a fitting tribute to the man who made the town synonymous with books. 4 stars.
September 2, 2026
[Corsair] (2026). First Printing. SB. 284 Pages. Illustrated. Purchased from Amazon.co.uk.
An entertaining, animated biography of Richard Booth (1938-2019). Best catalogued under True Crime.
He was awarded an MBE in the 2004 New Year Honours list. I guess that - in the context of similar recognition being afforded to the likes of Anthony Blunt, Naseem Hamed, Benito Mussolini, Kim Philby and Jimmy Savile - it’s unsurprising. Apt, perhaps.
Deceitful. Impulsive. Incompetent. Cruel. Scheming. Dishonest. Unfaithful. Ruthless. Selfish. Arrogant. Deluded. Quixotic. Manipulative.
Booth was unfit to run a bath, never mind a business. His knowledge of, and respect for, books was negligible. His stock in trade could just as well have been breeze-blocks or turnips.
His company went into compulsory liquidation from April 1984. How it lasted so long, and he (apparently) escaped jail, it’s hard to say. He was an adept showman and manipulator - venerated in some quarters when he should have been pilloried in all.
Unindexed.
Widely lacking precise provenance, though there are copious Acknowledgements (pp. 281-284).
Somewhat padded with extraneous material. Chapter 4 (“Wild Things”), for example, is largely irrelevant. “Bob Marley and Joe Cocker had friends in the area…” (p. 64) - who cares?
An entertaining, animated biography of Richard Booth (1938-2019). Best catalogued under True Crime.
He was awarded an MBE in the 2004 New Year Honours list. I guess that - in the context of similar recognition being afforded to the likes of Anthony Blunt, Naseem Hamed, Benito Mussolini, Kim Philby and Jimmy Savile - it’s unsurprising. Apt, perhaps.
Deceitful. Impulsive. Incompetent. Cruel. Scheming. Dishonest. Unfaithful. Ruthless. Selfish. Arrogant. Deluded. Quixotic. Manipulative.
Booth was unfit to run a bath, never mind a business. His knowledge of, and respect for, books was negligible. His stock in trade could just as well have been breeze-blocks or turnips.
His company went into compulsory liquidation from April 1984. How it lasted so long, and he (apparently) escaped jail, it’s hard to say. He was an adept showman and manipulator - venerated in some quarters when he should have been pilloried in all.
Unindexed.
Widely lacking precise provenance, though there are copious Acknowledgements (pp. 281-284).
Somewhat padded with extraneous material. Chapter 4 (“Wild Things”), for example, is largely irrelevant. “Bob Marley and Joe Cocker had friends in the area…” (p. 64) - who cares?
August 14, 2026
The life of Richard Booth is interesting but pretty ugly, the death unnecessarily of an employee at the wheel of a car getting a lift from Richard Booth and his subsequent poor treatment of the relatives but being protected by the criminal system when he was probably over the limit and all over the road was sickening to read.He comes across as callous and strange. I love Hay on Wye and have visited every time 5 times or more a year since my dad introduced me to it in the 1990s when living in Hereford and Worcestershire. The Cinema bookshop is my all time favourite dwelling place for books so it was great to read about its origins and the story that runs along with it. James tells a pretty grubby tale to be honest very gossiped with massive long list of contributors and sometimes bewilderingly bad nasty tales not sure the book isnt nasty itself. Maybe this is what the author intended...maybe its the subject matter but I did not particularly like the book or Richard Booth and his entourage of thieving employees. Loads of comments about the book as usual claiming it was an amazing read...not a book to reread a tragedy really.
August 19, 2025
This was a fascinating biography of Richard Booth, the man who created the first book town in Hay on Wye. Booth was obviously a divisive character during his life and still appears to divide opinions to this day. The author does a really good job at portraying him fairly and showing both the positive and negative sides of his character.
I’ve only been to Hay once and had no idea that the town of books owed so much to one man’s drive and determination or that other book towns were created using his ideas.
On occasion, the writing feels a bit dry and at times, seems to jump around quite a bit especially in the opening chapters when there are many characters to get to grips with.
This was a worthwhile read and has definitely made me want to go and revisit Hay now that I know more about its background.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers, Little Brown Book Group, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I’ve only been to Hay once and had no idea that the town of books owed so much to one man’s drive and determination or that other book towns were created using his ideas.
On occasion, the writing feels a bit dry and at times, seems to jump around quite a bit especially in the opening chapters when there are many characters to get to grips with.
This was a worthwhile read and has definitely made me want to go and revisit Hay now that I know more about its background.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers, Little Brown Book Group, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 30, 2025
In 'The Bookseller of Hay' James Hanning writes about Richard Bloom and the way he turned the remote Hay-on-Wye into a worldwide literary festival. Hanning gives us a Bloom who is crafty, forceful, wilful, focused, and a bit off the beam at times. Bloom is an eccentric and often maddening character who changed the trajectory of Hay-on-Wye in a remote part of Wales. Most book lovers have heard of the Hay festival, but most of us probably did not know how the festival came into being.
Hanning gives us every detail of its inception.
The book is an intriguing cultural history of an overlooked man. Again, how many book lovers have even heard of Richard Bloom? As someone mentions in the book, he was a genuine eccentric. He captivated and enraged people in equal measure. That's what makes for a fascinating person. The book is exhaustive in its research and I was never bored with all the detail. I yearn for more books about Wales and book festivals. Recommended for book lovers.
Hanning gives us every detail of its inception.
The book is an intriguing cultural history of an overlooked man. Again, how many book lovers have even heard of Richard Bloom? As someone mentions in the book, he was a genuine eccentric. He captivated and enraged people in equal measure. That's what makes for a fascinating person. The book is exhaustive in its research and I was never bored with all the detail. I yearn for more books about Wales and book festivals. Recommended for book lovers.
May 1, 2026
Interesting in places, and with an insight into the book trade of old that I was genuinely curious about, this book unfortunately suffers from too many diversions and bit players to really work.
June 2, 2026
An excellent and fascinating read about a real eccentric and pioneering bookseller. Obviously phenomenal research carried out by James Hanning culminating in a great book
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews