Folkestone is a library – Creative folkestone

Sophie Haydock, curator of the Creative Folkestone Book Festival has another project on her hands.  For the next three years, Folkestone Is A Library, an Arts Council England sponsored project, is running across town to give everyone better access to books and resources.  Even though the Grace Hill Library is currently closed, we still have other libraries across town, providing more than just books for us to borrow.  Folkelife met with Sophie to find out more about the project.

“We, at Creative Folkestone, were trying to imagine what a library looked like outside of the walled building it is traditionally housed in.  And from that, we came up with an idea to meet on Sunny Sands and swap books.  We want to come together as a community and tell stories about our lives, and exchange those stories with one another.”

the big book swap

“From this, the idea of the Book Swap came about.  On 28th March 2026, we want to break a world record for the Biggest Book Swap ever.  And to do that, we need at least 592 people to come to Sunny Sands from 1.30pm, with a book, and enter the ‘Swap Zone’.  Here, for one hour between 2 and 3pm, you swap a book with someone else, and then afterwards, you can leave the zone and chat to everyone there. 

“There’s going to be lots going on throughout the day, with Radio Folkestone broadcasting live, poetry readings and activities too.  It’s a chance for people to come together and talk about books, and share stories. You can sign up via the Creative Folkestone website or just turn up on the day.  At this point in time we have nearly 1000 people signed up, which is amazing!  If the weather is bad we’ll be in Quarterhouse car park, so do come!”

folkestone is a library

“Our project Folkestone Is A Library is a whole lot more than just the book swap.  It’s an invitation to everyone to discuss what a library means to us all.  We’ve got funding from Arts Council England to work with the whole community in Folkestone to have an impact.  We have plans to go into our local schools and reach those who don’t get the chance to come to things like the Book Festival.  In Folkestone, there are areas that are some of the most deprived in the country, and they sit alongside some of the most improved parts.  

“These areas are hidden, and there are children who have never read a book, or don’t own a book.  So our priority is to reach these communities and ask how we can help amplify their voices, ask what support is needed, and how can you tell us your stories.”

gaining momentum

“I am really excited to see where the energy takes us.  We’ll be running a stand-alone children and young people’s book festival. But so many other things could be born from this.

“We are already having lots of conversations with different groups and people in Folkestone about how to collaborate and find new ways of sharing stories.  I think everybody knows that Folkestone is a creative town, it is on the map nationally and locally as a place for great art and artists. But I still don’t think people think of it as a particularly literary town, despite having so many incredible authors living here, and we’ve got such an incredible literary heritage.

“And it’s not just about books in a highbrow sense. It is about the stories of the fishermen, the stories of the Gurkhas and the stories of the people who’ve really shaped this town. We want to make sure that we’re capturing all of this in a way that puts Folkestone on the map as a place for readers and writers and storytellers.”

grace hill library

“This conversation came out of the closure of Grace Hill Library.  It prompted us to think how does a town like Folkestone function without that kind of space? And obviously, so many community groups have done a brilliant job of absorbing so much of those activities. But how does the energy of a town shift without that specific kind of library? It’s really important to say that Folkestone has lots of great libraries and doing such a great job in reaching out and putting all those books into different people’s hands.

“But whatever happens next with libraries in Folkestone, this stands alone as its own community project. It’s a place making project. It’s hopefully going to have a really deep legacy and focused on generating more library users.”

Kent county libraries

“Kent County Library Services are one of our partners and we’re working really closely with them. They’re incredible, and the things they do don’t get shouted about enough. Anna and Andrea, from their team, have come to a lot of meetings already.  There’s a service called ‘Ask A Librarian’ where you can go to the online portal and ask a librarian anything! It’s a living, breathing Chat GPT, but you know the person answering is a real person, and they’re going to answer your question properly. 

“They also have a library of outfits and costumes.  So, if you’re ever stuck for something to wear on World Book Day, you can borrow an outfit from the library.  It’s been great to feel more integrated with the library and to see how much brilliant stuff is already happening.

“We’re doing a newsletter every two weeks which everyone can feed into with activities and so on.  It means that we can create a hub, a space where people know how to get involved.  That’s a really positive thing to come from this.”