"Im Königreich der Bücher"

Name of traveller

Julia Grosse (b. 1976)

Reason for travel

• research for the special issue of a German travel magazine

Date of travel

undated, ca. early 2010s

Der zelebrierte Unwille zur Hektik scheint den Bewohnern in jeder Pore zu stecken. Zumindest 355 Tage im Jahr, die restlichen zehn Tage aber vibriert Hay, als hätten die Götter plötzlich an der Uhr gedreht. (Grosse 64)

Content

• art: illustrated throughout with photographs by Walter Schmitz
• customs: international reach of the annual Hay Festival
• literature:
  • trade with used books as defining element for Hay-on-Wye's character as book town
  • a number of book shop owners identified as writers themselves
• people:
  • significance of Richard Booth (b. 1938) for Hay-on-Wye's used-books trade
  • various character sketches of local book shop owners
• terrain: Hay-on-Wye described as sleepy, relaxed village
• compare with the author's description of Plas Newydd, Llangollen
• click here to read the full account

Nationality of traveller

German

Language of publication

German

Gender of traveller

Female

Type of publication

illustrated travellogue

Citation

Grosse, Julia. "Im Königreich der Bücher." MERIAN 10 (20 Sep. 2012): 60-6. Print.