Hay fever runs amok

The most prestigious festival in the English-speaking world," claimed the New York Times and quoted in the information guide to the little border town that hosts it.

Great publicity, but a cultural gaffe. The newspaper's phrase couldn't be more misleading in a place where they've built their economy around fact and fiction.

English-speaking? Yes, and no. When you cross from Herefordshire into Powys dual-language signs become the norm. Welsh comes first here. 'Y Gelli. Gyrrwch yn ofalus'. Translation: 'Hay-on-Wye. Please drive carefully'.

Words matter in Hay. They dominate local life and business, and even a Welsh-speaker has to admit that English rules, at least between the covers of a million titles held by more than 20 second-hand bookshops sprinkled around the old streets. You'll find everything from Agatha Christie to Social Life in the Insect World, A Short History of Africa, and Film Pictorial Annual 1938.

But the latest chapter in the story of the world's first book town contains some uncomfortable reading. For all the positives, the written word is causing divisions, too, in part as a consequence of the success that flowed from Richard Booth's idea of nearly 50 years ago.

His family has lived in the area for more than a century and he was sure that a literary trade and beautiful scenery would be a winning combination. He was right. His shop encouraged others to follow, and then book-loving tourists began to arrive. His other belief was that Hay's remoteness, wedged between Wales's Black Mountains and some of the loveliest hills and valleys in England, would help to protect it from domination by London.

That vision proved unrealistic. The annual Hay Festival, which used to be closely associated with the sellers of old paperbacks and antiquarian editions, has since become a major arts event with international connections. "The Woodstock of the mind", Bill Clinton called it.

Over 11 days later this month, they are expecting more than 100,000 visitors. The festival is sponsored by a national newspaper, and Rupert Murdoch also has an interest. Its broadcast partner is Sky Arts – and the channel can't resist presenting its programmes as Hay-on-Sky. It's become big business, and serious.

Bill Bryson may provide some light relief this year but, mainly, it's heavyweight literati and discussions on climate change, the law and Middle East politics.

In addition, the festival site is now a sophisticated tented village a mile out of town, causing upset in thoroughfares such as Lion Street, where homage is paid to publishing days when Penguins were in orange and green.

The trend now is for the hottest guest authors and book-signings in the marquees to draw many visitors away from the shelves of 1 musty hardbacks at the Honesty Bookshop ("please post money in box near door"), and the likes of the The Sensible Bookshop, crime and horror titles in Murder and Mayhem, and Boz Books, a specialist in Dickens and the 19th century. For some in the second-hand trade, it adds insult to injury that the official bookseller for the festival is Pembertons, the only shop in Hay specialising in new books and "the best of new and up-to-date modern authors".

Up at Hay Castle Books, set within the walls of the Norman castle which he owns, the man who once appointed himself monarch of Hay to help to promote his novel concept, is dismayed. From the battlements, Richard Booth, now in his 70s, is also firing verbal arrows at those he believes have betrayed the original ideal.

Amanda, who works on the till at the castle shop, said: "Hay's reputation was built on second-hand and antiquarian books. Richard believes passionately in them. Unfortunately, the festival is now mainly about promoting new ones and egos, and making money for publishers and the best-known authors. It's become fashionable for people-spotting and celebrity, a great cult thing like Glastonbury. For metropolitan types, Hay Festival is on their circuit."

George Greenway, born and bred in Hay, agrees with much of that. He also mentions the impact of the recession on the town and his shop (speciality, country sports) and the fact that "tourists are not necessarily book readers".

It's easy to overdose on books here but therapy is close by. There are some magnificent drives and walks in the Brecon Beacons National Park, its landscape of sweeping hillsides and sheep, sheep, sheep, reminiscent of the higher parts of the Pennines and Yorkshire Dales. Or pop over the border back to England and meander part of the luscious Wye Valley, or the Golden Valley beside the River Dore and the plump green hills of Herefordshire.

If you need still more reading material you'll probably end up back at the twin town of Timbuktu, for which there doesn't appear to be a Welsh language version. It was once, explains the street map of Hay's bookshops, also a hub of ideas and learning and texts on every subject from philosophy to poetry.

But did it have The Splendid Book for Boys or editions of Biggles and Ed McBain?

Hay Festival May 27-June 6. Useful websites: www.hay-on-wye.co.uk

www.visitbreconbeacons.com

YP MAG 15/5/10