Urban Room Folkestone, Harbour Street. CT20 1QN
Booking Required : Click here to book (via our partners at Quarterhouse)
Free
Join Francine Hajilou for a reading from her recent collection Entangled Roots: Wintering. There will also be a short talk and some new writing based on the outcomes of her research into the materiality of Kent Downs in line with her interest in geology’s relationship to colonialism, race, belonging, and place. Francine Hajilou’s current writing explores the natural world to deepen connections with place for womxn of the global majority*, living as the black and brown diaspora in the UK. Of dual African Caribbean and English heritage and born in the UK, her work is an enquiry into notions and experiences of belonging and home in the UK from a Black diasporic perspective.
*global majority: people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, or indigenous to the global south.
“Growing up in Coventry during the 70’s and 80’s I was, surprisingly, never far from green spaces and the natural world. I took refuge in these spaces with trusted friends and family, safe from the racial unrest and violence that punctuated my childhood. For me, then and now, the natural or more-than-human world signified a place outside of complex human ideologies of race and gender. In recent years, I have begun re-informing my relationship with the British countryside and its inextricable links with histories of colonialism and imperialism. This has led to considerations of the entangled relationships between capitalism, racism, climate emergency, and trauma in my present and upcoming writing.”
Urban Room Folkestone is working on becoming more accessible. It currently has step-free access with ramps to all indoor areas and accessible seating to accommodate individuals with mobility challenges. It does not currently have a disabled toilet, however, the closest one is 200 yards away at Creative Folkestone Quarterhouse, which will be available for use throughout our SALT + EARTH programme. Disabled parking is available directly outside the venue. Service animals are welcome. In line with our mission to make URF more accessible, we are happy to be contacted to discuss any specific requirements or suggestions that you might have. If you are interested in attending an event at URF but have any accessibility queries - please email us on [email protected] or text/call Jacob on 07875541090.
