Oxford's own literary festival is now well and truly on any bookworm's map but it probably can't quite compete with the Hay Festival in terms of size.
I have just returned from Border Country where each year authors gather to talk about their latest publications.
Hay-on-Wye itself is the home of more than 30 individual bookshops and I could quite easily spend the whole day browsing the shelves but I thought I would have a look at the festival site itself, which was in a big field half a mile outside the town centre.
An intricate grid of duckboards wound their way between massive tents and stages and my wife and I took our two boys to hear Emma Chichester Clarke talk about her charming picture books, including It Was You Blue Kangaroo.
Some kids found the appearance of a man dressed in a blue kangaroo suit at the end of the talk a little unnerving, but they soon plucked up the courage to have their photo taken with him.
My wife, and hundreds of others, then gathered in a massive arena to hear Manchester-based philosopher Terry Eagleton talk about the meaning of life and, of course, his new book, The Holy Terror.
At this point, I thought it would be wise to retreat from the festival site and I headed back to the town itself in search of some reasonably priced food and bargain books.
There wasn't any reasonably priced food — maybe all the restaurants and cafes put their prices up during the festival period — but there were plenty of interesting books to be bought.
At Greenways Corner Bookshop in The Backfold (01497 820443) I found a copy of the 1973 Scorcher annual for £3, and in a book passage alongside Addyman Books in Lion Street (01497 821136) I discovered a 1950s copy of the Ladybird classic Mick the Disobedient Puppy for £1.
The shop also stocked an 1897 edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in quite good condition but the £20 price tag put me off because I knew I would have to save up for my lunch.
The Hay Festival is well worth a trip but it's probably best to book tickets beforehand as events do sell out. And save a fortune by taking your own sarnies.
Been to any good literary festivals lately? Do let me know.