DIY Kingdom
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
DIY Kingdom
Sometimes you just can’t wait to declare yourself monarch.
Once upon a time, used bookseller Richard Booth, in the Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye, proclaimed himself “king” of the new fortified mini-monarchy:
In 1977, Richard Booth declared himself "king" of Hay-on-Wye in order to save the Welsh border town from economic ruin. Now, the famed spot is celebrating his legacy.
On 1 April 1977, second-hand bookshop owner Richard Booth donned a homemade crown, marched through the streets of Hay-on-Wye and declared himself "King of Hay" outside the gates of the Welsh town's Norman-era castle.
From a report in the BBC, and recommended by Atlas Obscura.
Booth’s vision was to create a kingdom of books and revive the fortunes of the town, although the new micronation failed to receive official recognition internationally:
Booth's crazy idea seemed to work, as lots of publicity was generated around his declaration of independence. Everyone from journalists to tourists now wanted to visit the self-declared "Kingdom of Books." In 1999, a university studied the economic efforts of book towns and found a direct correlation between Booth's stunt and helping the economy not just of Hay, but the entirety of Wales.
Since then, Hay's reputation for literature of all kinds has kept the community alive. To this day, there are multiple bookshops and festivals dedicated to books as well as philosophy and music.
Maybe we should consider ourselves regnant monarchs of our own personal empires. As far as nationalist fervor goes, rallying around the used book would be preferable to whatever else dominates the news these days…
In that spirit, aren’t we all just emperors in our individual empires of dirt—the sort Johnny Cash sang about in “Hurt”?
From an interpretation:
The ’empire of dirt’ also suggests a broader commentary on the human pursuit of material possessions, questioning what legacy one leaves behind. Johnny Cash, in his earnest delivery, invites the listener to ponder the value of their own empires—what we build, what we cling to, and what ultimately remains when we face the final reckoning.
Hmm… That would seem to fit in nicely with the spirit of Cynthia’s weekend post and discussion.
Good morning. In my line of work, we like to emphasize that soil is not dirt. All kingdoms and empires are built on soil in a variety of ways.
Also, it's raining here again.
Back from the doctor, where I got my second dose of shingles vaccine.