One Town, Thousand Books

Have you ever visited a secondhand bookshop or a book fair? If so, you'll know how fascinating these places are. You probably know that book fairs take place at certain times of the year and are usually repeated every year. You'll find all kinds of books from dozens of bookshops. A secondhand bookshop is always there for you, a constant, reliable presence. Some are even regulars. They're the perfect place for a friendly chat. But in these places, finding the book you're looking for can be a stroke of luck. Sometimes a feeling, a moment or even a sign comes along and you just look at a book. It's as if it's always with you, on your way back.

Both have a commercial aspect, one is a periodical and the other is permanent. Second-hand bookshops, like any business, are usually concentrated in a certain area. Fair stalls are the same, but they seem more formal to some. Some people prefer it as a weekend activity; it's like going to an exhibition. If only they weren't at the bottom of hell...

Photo by Hans-Jürgen Weinhardt on Unsplash

So where do these two worlds meet? It's so nice to see the excitement of the book fairs and the honesty of the secondhand bookshops together... And the answer is in the bookshops! I think it's a wonderful mix, don't you?

Now I'd like to go one step further. I'm talking about taking it to a level that, unfortunately, has no equivalent in our country. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could increase the number of bookshops and give them a local presence? This wonderful idea comes to life in book towns.

Yes, there really is such a thing! The shops I'm talking about are throughout the town, and they're absolutely delightful. The Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye is where it all began for book towns. This amazing adventure started with one small bookshop in 1977 and gradually became a cultural movement.

According to the founder, his first idea was to open a bookshop, but over time he became a real part of the town. Meanwhile, he was thinking about how to create jobs and attract tourists.

After all, towns may not have much to offer tourists. When his idea met with a positive response, bookshops with similar ideas began to open. One, then two, three, five... Eventually there were about twenty shops in the town. Perhaps there are more now.

Imagine the bookshops and the countless novels they contain, probably within your reach everywhere... In one you will find second-hand books, in another more antique ones. One sells books in different languages, another in different genres. If you want to have a look at one of them, you can use this link.

Photo by Yukon Haughton on Unsplash

I'd like to pick up where I left off before the subject makes me thirsty!

I'm happy to say that this process has helped shopkeepers who are business-oriented, who love what they do, who are competitive but also cooperative, and who share a common goal, to gain a place there. Thanks to this wonderful development, which spread throughout the city, mass book readings and festivals were organised to promote amateur writers.

And let's not forget how it has helped the local economy, built a national subculture, changed the tourist route, attracted public attention and - presumably - made people read more books! They're definitely a favourite place for book lovers, regular readers and collectors!

This type of organisation is not unique to Wales, but it's still pretty special! It's so inspiring to see that about ten other countries, including Australia, South Korea and Scotland, have already tried it in various towns. If you take a closer look at these countries, you'll see why they're making this a priority. If you're curious about other countries and towns, you can find them all listed on the International Organisation of Book Towns website.

Have you ever dreamed of running your own bookshop? Have you ever thought about what it would be like? Maybe you've even dreamed of creating such an organisation.

If what we can do is help each other to grow as individuals, that's a great place to start. We could start by getting into the habit of reading and writing books with local groups. Who knows, maybe one day one of us will blaze a trail and others will be right there to cheer them on.