Hay-on-Wye has been a paradise for book lovers since the 1970s. Located in Wales, just inside the border with England, Hay is considered by many to be the world’s first – and best - ‘book town’. Home to nearly two dozen bookshops, the town also hosts the Hay Festival of Literature & Arts, famously described by former US president Bill Clinton as, “The Woodstock of the mind”. Running for ten days from the end of May to early June, the festival attracts tens of thousands of visitors from around the world and has featured the likes of Carol Ann Duffy, Barbara Kingsolver, Ian Rankin, Hilary Mantel, and Toni Morrison.

Many of Hay’s bookshops list their books on AbeBooks, including The King of Hay Bookshop, owned by Richard Booth, a bibliophile and bookshop owner who declared himself the King of Hay-on-Wye in a 1977 publicity stunt credited with creating the town’s literary-based tourism industry. You’ll also find antiquarian treasures at Francis Edwards, children’s classics at The Children’s Bookshop, and much more.

Whether you have a passion for secondhand books, rare books, antiquarian books, or all of the above, Hay-on-Wye bookshops are any bibliophile’s dream. But even if you can’t make the trip, you can use the search box below to find books offered by Hay-on-Wye booksellers. You can also browse our featured sellers and explore the list of Hay-on-Wye bookshops.