Intersections: Reading Room is a free, public space at SD Project’ Studio, The Old Post Office, open every Friday from 12–5pm. Visitors are invited to read and reflect, to convene and converse, and to explore Islamic cultural life through books, ideas, and discussions at their own pace in a calm and informal setting.
At its core, the Reading Room is designed as a shared cultural resource – part library, part meeting place – which connects Folkestone with the world beyond by making knowledge accessible and advances our shared histories, stories, by encouraging conversations.
The collection includes books and materials generously donated by the Al Tajir Trust, SOAS, the Arab British Centre, and Saqi Books, forming a rich and diverse library of voices, histories, and ideas.
A rotating reading list selected by guest curators is added monthly to the library. The compilation by writer Tharik Hussain offers an entry point into themes of Muslim Europe, travel, and identity; researcher Imad Ahmed’s selection considers the themes of Islam, faith, astronomy and timekeeping; author Cathy Haynes focusses on concepts and measures of time, the sky and living world.
In this way, the Reading Room continues to evolve over time, shaped by contributors, collaborators, and the communities who use it.