In the narrow, sloping streets you’ll find speciality bookshops catering to every subject, budget and taste. There’s a bookshop selling every book (and they do mean “every”) for £1 (around Rs80), one dealing only in antique and rare books, even one dedicated entirely to jigsaw puzzles. Don’t look for the familiar W.H. Smith or Borders, though. Chain stores can’t cope with the quirkiness of Hay.
Children browse at the Hay festival (Richard Stanton)
The Hay festival attracts some of the biggest names in modern literature. Joining the long list of famous authors at previous festivals, this year’s programme includes Salman Rushdie (a regular, now promoting
The Enchantress of Florence), Gore Vidal, Julian Barnes, Manil Suri, chef Jamie Oliver and Garry Kasparov. Former US president Jimmy Carter is scheduled to speak on West Asia: The event is billed as one of this year’s biggest draws. Expect large crowds, muddy fields lined with tents flapping in the chilly Welsh wind and bookstore owners very pleased about the extra business.
When you’re done with the books—or if you aren’t into them—take a day trip into the countryside. In the village of Clyro, a short distance from Hay, lies Baskerville Hall Hotel. Conan Doyle was a family friend of the Baskervilles and stayed here often. During one trip, he heard of the legend of the hound of the Baskervilles—no points for guessing which book that inspired. At the request of his friends, though, he set the book in Devon to ward off tourists from thronging the Baskerville residence. Little did he know that many years later, a book-town nearby would undo his good intentions.
On the south-west coast of England, stop by the Daphne Du Maurier Festival of Arts and Literature in Fowey, Cornwall (8-17 May). The author lived in Fowey for many years and the landscape, houses and people of Cornwall all made their way into her books, including Rebecca. The book tells the story of an Englishman, Maxim de Winter and his (unnamed) bride who come to live in Manderley, a sprawling estate in Cornwall. Mysterious things happen in the house as the new bride struggles to gain the favour of the household devoted to the first Mrs de Winters—Rebecca—who died in a shipwreck off the coast.
The book is a classic. Whether you’ve read Rebecca or not, you may enjoy the Rebecca Coastline Walk led by a guide. Walks along the coastline can be muddy, especially after a spell of rain, so carry your wellies or waterproof shoes along. And if you’re in Fowey this year, don’t miss the fabulously funny poet Pam Ayres reading from her book Surgically Enhanced (13 May).
Fowey, home to Du Maurier.
What makes the Du Maurier festival special? Maria McCarthy, author of
The Girls’ Guide to Losing Your L-Plates and festival junkie, enjoys going to Cornwall for the beautiful, intimate setting. She also thinks it is different because it has a strong local identity, where Cornish writers and performers participate with authors from all over the country.
Around 15 minutes away from Fowey is the biggest greenhouse on the planet. The Eden Project boasts of two gigantic biomes—the biggest conservatories in the world—housing more than 5,000 species of plants from every climate. A heads-up for James Bond fanboys: parts of Die Another Day, featuring Pierce Brosnan, were filmed there.