Madeline Greenhalgh

CultureArts
Word Count: 617
Its nearly two oclock in the morning, and Alexis Jensen and her family are still
maneuvering the ever-narrowing road that winds through the Black Mountains in southern
Wales. Not having anticipated the farmland, tricky terrain, and occasional stretch of forest, the
Jensens were expecting to have reached their destination hours ago. But Alexis Jensen is on a
quest, and no thickets of brambles or crumbling infrastructure can stand in her way. Soon

Comment [O1]: I changed this (and the next few

things) just to keep tense consistent, rather than
switching between past and present throughout the
paragraph.
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enough, an idyllic town comes into view, framed by the vast wilds of Wales. And though the
towns cobblestones and old-fashioned appearance seem quite similar to other English and
Welsh hamlets, the shops found in Hay-on-Wye set the town apart from most tourist destinations
found in the British Isles, making it the perfect location for Jensens journey.

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Comment [O2]: Changed this so you didnt say
appearance appear
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Dubbed the National Book Town of Wales, Hay-on-Wye boasts two dozen bookshops
with content ranging from rare childrens books to antique maps. It is a mecca for the book
collector, and thanks to a publicity stunt in 1977 in which local bookshop owner Richard Booth
declared Hay-on-Wye an independent kingdom and crowned himself king, the hamlet has found
a comfortable place in the travel routes of literary enthusiasts. The yearly Hay Festivalheld for
ten days from late May to early Juneis responsible for drawing a large crowd to the literary
town; over 80,000 visitors from across the globe gather in the quaint village to meet prominent
figures in the literary world, listen to live performances by musicians, and screen upcoming
movies.
Though the festival attracts visitors during the beginning of summer, its the
bookshopsthe crown jewels of Hay-on-Wyethat keep the crowds coming throughout the

Comment [O3]: OH MY GOSH I want to visit this

place.
Comment [O4]: According to Merriam Webster,
the phrase is usually either crown jewels or
crowning glory, but not usually crowning jewels
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year. The interior of most bookshops in the halcyon town is a far cry from the neatly ordered,

Comment [O5]: Great word.

sterile stacks found in large bookstore chains. Many are specialty or secondhand bookshops, and
as such, are arranged in a hodgepodge mannerbooks tipping precariously off of shelves, pages
popping out of booksthat Jensen says increases the romanticism of the book-buying

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experience. Though whimsical, the layout of these shops slows down the browsing process
considerably and can try the patience of a less dedicated book hunter.
While the tranquil atmosphere of Hay-on-Wye might be uninspiring to vacationers
seeking a thrill or arduous outdoor challenges, the true bibliophile is right at home in the dusty

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old bookshops. The natural history enthusiast finds his niche in the midst of the Collins New
Natural Collection and in the countless volumes on the subject of gardening and botany found at
C. Arden Bookseller; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fans unite under the roof of Murder and Mayhem,
a shop specializing in detective fiction, true crime, and horror novels; and readers of all interests
can find the book they need in the Hay-on-Wye Booksellers located in the heart of town.
Jensen wishes only that shed had more time to peruse the shelves of the various
bookshops Hay-on-Wye has to offer. Despite the difficulty of leafing through piles of books,
Jensen was lucky enough to fulfill her goal and leave Hay-on-Wye as the proud owner of a
stunning collection of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales with original illustrations. Its like

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walking into nature and falling in love, because its so beautiful in all its old and dusty glory,
said Jensen of her experience searching for the perfect book in Hay-on-Wye.
The avid book collector and the general literary lover alike could spend several days
leafing through antique volumes and second edition folios and still leave shelves of books
untouched. And in the end, each will findjust as Jensen didthat the magic and romanticism
of finding the right book outweighs any difficulty found in travel or search.

Comment [O6]: Beautiful article. You did a great

job.
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