Coastal Carolina University is hosting a reading and discussion series titled "Bridging Cultures: Connected Histories" on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at 4:30 p.m. in the Lackey Chapel. The fourth session will explore "Traveler and Scholar: The Story of Leo Africanus." The public is invited to this free lecture.

This dialogue explores the intersection between Eastern and Western philosophies, values, economies and cultures from a historical perspective. With a discussion led by Jeffry Halverson, assistant professor in CCU's Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, "Leo Africanus" by Amin Maalouf is the imagined autobiography of real-life geographer, adventurer and scholar Hasan al-Wassan, whose far-reaching travels in the 16th century were a precursor to the cultural interconnections now associated with globalization.

The series is in conjunction with "Bridging Cultures," a grant program of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), to familiarize audiences with the people, places, history, faith and cultures of Muslims in the United States and around the world. Kimbel Library is one of 840 libraries and state humanities councils across the country selected to participate in the project. CCU is also a recipient of the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf Award from the NEH in which 25 books, three films and access to the Oxford Islamic Studies Online are awarded.

The Bridging Cultures Bookshelf is a project of NEH, conducted in cooperation with the ALA Public Programs Office, with support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Additional support for the arts and media components was provided by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Arts.

The five-part series is scheduled to discuss a new book every two weeks in Lackey Chapel. The next books in the series and can be found in Kimbel Library on the Bridging Cultures Bookshelf or are available by contacting Barbara Burd, dean of library services, at bburd@coastal.edu or 843-349-2401.