A book binge... and a spontaneous liberation
Having commented recently that we have so many books now that it's getting increasingly difficult to get out of bed without toppling a book tower, my husband and I decided to do the only thing one can do in such a situation... take a trip to Hay-on-Wye to buy some more! If you've never heard of Hay-on-Wye (you poor soul!), it is the town of books... haven of bibliophiles... with around twenty-six bookshops to choose from, one of which is Hay Cinema Bookshop (see photos below), housed within the converted Hay Cinema and stocking in the region of (get the smelling salts ready) 200,000 secondhand books! Over the years we have uncovered real treasure within its hallowed walls, and today was no exception. Basil Stewart's 'Japanese Colour-Prints' (1922), Hildreth's 'Japan as it was and is' (2 vols, 1906), and the fourteen volume set 'Lady Jackson's Works' (1899) all came home with us... that's another seventeen books to climb over to get into bed!
To the right, we have my happy husband, Ryoma, carrying the fourteen volume set of 'Lady Jackson's Works,' and making it look rather easy, despite the weight. These books once belonged to Lloyd, Lord Kenyon, Baron of Gredington, according to the rather attractive bookplates.
Below we have me, outside Hay Cinema Bookshop, where there are even more books to rummage through, hugging Basil Stewart's 'Japanese Colour-Prints'.
Below me, we have Hay Castle which houses... yes, you guessed it... a bookshop, which is called Hay Castle Bookshop (makes sense really doesn't it). And below that we have the rolling hills on the way back from Hay-on-Wye, and the subsequent sunset.
Aside from buying books, we did actually release one back into the wild. Have you ever heard of Book Crossing? I joined recently, and the basic idea is that you release books into the wild that you have read, or perhaps have duplicates of, after registering them on the Book Crossing site. You're given a number, which you then write into the book, so the book can be tracked if its new owner goes to the web site and makes a journal entry to indicate that they've found it. Anyway, a copy of my own book, The Wonderful Demise of Benjamin Arnold Guppy, was released into the wild at about six o'clock this evening. Well, not into the wild exactly... into the Blue Boar pub. Hopefully, eventually, it will be discovered... we shall see.
About Gina
Gina Collia-Suzuki is a writer, artist and art historian based in the UK. Having developed a deep interest in eighteenth century Japanese art and culture at an early age, she began studying Japanese woodblock prints whilst training as an artist in the 1980s....
Connections
Causes Gina Collia-Suzuki Supports
PETA
The World Wildlife Fund
RSPCA
Cancer Research UK
Literary doorstops and draught excluders
Can see that books are the only thing stopping the bed collapsing chez Collia-Suzuki. Gives a whole new spin to the term 'book rest'.
You realise, Gina, that asking poor Ryoma to carry such a stack is probably creating an earthquake in Tokyo?!
Thanks, Gina and Ryoma (and Rosy)
Puts a huge smile on my face this Sunday as I follow your peregrinations. We are using the Internet, but there is something old fashioned about this show-and-tell of landscapes and books. I feel I am enjoying a lot of adventures vicariously through letters a la 84 Charing Cross.
And a fun time was had by all!
It was brilliant! The books we found were fabulous! We love Hay so much, it's so tempting to consider moving there one day.
Rosy, you're such a card! LOL! Love it!
Belle, imagine how much fun Helene Hanff and Frank Doel would have had if they had internet access those days. In many ways I do not think it would have been the same. Letters and packages being sent during that era made it all the more special in my humble opinion but still, what if? What would it have been like if they had the sort of technology we have these days to communicate with each other? Would it have been better or not as good? I wonder. If it were not for the internet we would never have met you. How amazing! That is truly amazing to me. :)
Ooh, I forgot to mention
I'll be on Charing Cross Road tomorrow. We live on the other side of the country but I seem to be having meetings in London every week at the moment. I will tip my hat to the place where Marks and Co once were as I pass it in honour of you. :)