Andrew Mayden

In these small towns from Scotland to New Zealand, books shape identity, tourism, and community. 

By Ashley Packard

In the Welsh village of Hay-on-Wye, where sheep outnumber people and books spill onto the streets, a quiet revolution began. Antiquarian and academic Richard Booth inadvertently launched a global movement when he began filling the empty buildings of Hay-on-Wye with secondhand books.

What started as a single decision in 1961 to fill his sleepy hometown with secondhand books to sell in numerous empty buildings, turned into the birthplace of a global literary mecca uniting villages, bibliophiles, and dreamers alike. 

People from across the United Kingdom swarmed this small town, and soon book sellers from other kingdoms and republics stuffed the shelves of neighboring shops, turning the empty structures into bustling bookshops.

Hay-on-Wye became the first ever “book town,” supporting patrons who flocked to the shops. Booth, who crowned himself “King of Hay,” inspired others to turn literature into lifelines for their little towns and villages. As word of his success spread, more towns around the world embraced the concept for their communities. Before long, the International Organization of Book Towns was formed in April 2001, though it had existed without the official designation for decades prior.

The organization aims to raise public awareness of book towns through online information and a biennial International Book Town Festival. It supports rural economies by facilitating knowledge exchange among booksellers and businesses, encouraging the use of technology, and helping to preserve and promote regional and national cultural heritage on a global scale.

By definition, a book town is “a small, preferably rural, town or village in which secondhand and antiquarian bookshops are concentrated…[making them] available to everyone…” Today, there are dozens of towns with the designation, from Pazin, Croatia, to Featherson, New Zealand. These selected and approved locations take pride in their history, scenic beauty, and contributions to the literary world. Here are six charming book towns from around the world that every book lover, traveler, or collector should explore.

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