Richard Booth

Richard George William Pitt Booth (12 September 1938 – 20 August 2019) was a British bookseller, bibliophile and micronationalist known for his contribution to the success of Hay-on-Wye as a centre for second-hand bookselling and founder of The Kingdom of Hay-on-Wye, a micronation that claims the town as an independent kingdom. Early life Booth was born in Plymouth, Devon and was educated at Rugby Private School and Merton College, Oxford. Career In the early 1970s, Booth opened and second-hand bookshop in Hay-on-Wye, on estate inherited from his uncle, Willie Booth. He requested local Hay-on-Wye residents to buy and ship books back to Hay-on-Wye to be re-sold, other booksellers followed Booth, until the town became known as "Town of Books". On 1 April 1977, Richard Booth proclaimed Hay an "independent kingdom" with himself as king Richard Cœur de Livre and his horse as Prime Minister. The publicity stunt gained extensive news coverage and resulted in several spin-offs such as "passports" being issued.