Richard Booth
Richard Booth | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date England |
| Died | August 20, 2019 (aged 80) |
| Occupation(s) | Bookseller, book collector, promoter |
| Known for | Transforming Hay-on-Wye into a literary hub; founding the Hay Literary Festival |
| Awards | MBE (2004) |
Richard George William Pitt Booth (12 September 1938 – 20 August 2019) was a distinguished English bookseller, avid collector of books, and promoter within literary circles.
Residing at Hay Castle and descending from the historic Cheshire lineage, Booth played a pivotal role in transforming Hay-on-Wye into a celebrated literary hub, earning the moniker King of Hay.
In recognition of his contributions to tourism, he was honored with an MBE in the 2004 New Year Honours, notably for his instrumental involvement in founding the Hay Literary Festival.
Literary award
Since 2014, Booth's legacy has been commemorated through the annual Richard Booth Prize for Non-Fiction, conducted in partnership with the Hay Writers' Circle. The panel of judges and recipients over the years include:
| Year | Judge | Winner | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Rachel Cooke | Jo Jones | |
| 2015 | Colin McDowell | Emma van Woerkom | |
| 2016 | Dan Davies | Juliet Foster | |
| 2017 | Noel Kingsbury | Ange Grunsell | |
| 2018 | Oliver Bullough | Marianne Rosen | |
| 2019 | Phil Carradice | ||
| 2020 | Rib Davis | Kerry Hodges | |
| 2021 | Roland White | Gill Haigh | |
| 2022 | Gilly Smith | Lily Rose King | |
Political involvement
Booth sought election as a candidate for the Socialist Labour Party during the 1999 Welsh Assembly elections and later stood for the European Parliament representing Wales in 2009.
- Welsh Assembly elections
| Year | Region | Party | Votes | % | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Mid and West Wales | SLP | 3,019 | 1.4 | Unsuccessful |
- European Parliament elections
| Year | Region | Party | Votes | % | Outcome | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Wales | SLP | 12,402 | 1.8 | Unsuccessful | Multi-member constituency; party list system |
Effigy beheading of Booth
In 2009, a symbolic protest against Booth was orchestrated by bookseller Paul Harris, a former employee often likened to a "Cromwell figure". Harris conducted a mock trial accusing Booth of treason, culminating in the "beheading" of his effigy. This act was driven by concerns about gentrification and the perceived overwhelming influence of the Hay Festival, which Harris claimed marginalized local booksellers and negatively affected their livelihoods.
Harris accused Booth of neglecting to advocate sufficiently for booksellers’ interests in favor of the festival’s commercial priorities. He noted that although Booth had previously attracted attention opposing the festival’s dominance, his efforts had since diminished. Harris proposed forming a council to supplant Booth’s promotional duties and suggested initiatives such as a Speaker's Corner to bolster Hay's reputation as a bastion of free expression.
Protest supporters pointed to a 50% drop in sales among booksellers before this event, citing additional pressures from economic downturns and online competition. Among those opposing the demonstration were Booth himself and Peter Florence, founder of the Hay Festival, who argued that booksellers needed to adapt their business models.
The effigy beheading occurred on 27 September 2009 at Hay’s Old Butter Market. Participants donned costumes representing Roundheads and Royalists. The event elicited varied responses from residents and symbolized ongoing friction between traditional bookselling enterprises and the commercial forces driven by the festival.
See also
External links
- 1938 births
- 2019 deaths
- People from Hay-on-Wye
- Booth family (Dunham Massey)
- People educated at Rugby School
- Alumni of Merton College, Oxford
- 20th-century Welsh businesspeople
- 21st-century Welsh businesspeople
- British booksellers
- Micronational leaders
- Socialist Labour Party (UK) members
- Members of the Order of the British Empire
- People from Herefordshire