UCSB Reads 2026, the 20th anniversary of UC Santa Barbara's award-winning common book program, culminated on May 7 with a campus appearance by Michelle Zauner. The bestselling author and Grammy-nominated musician (of indie pop band Japanese Breakfast) took the stage at a sold-out Campbell Hall to share the moving story behind her vibrant and sensory memoir, Crying in H Mart, the program's book selection for 2026.
The free public talk, co-sponsored by UCSB Library and UCSB Arts & Lectures, drew hundreds of students, faculty, staff, and local community members. Zauner participated in an expansive conversation with Professor Sameer Pandya, noted fiction writer and Chair of the Asian American Studies Department. The dialogue traversed complex themes of identity, culture, grief, family, food, music, literature, and interdisciplinary creativity. Following the discussion, UCSB students asked thoughtful questions during a lively Q&A session. The enthusiasm carried well into the night, with the book-signing line stretching out the doors of Campbell Hall.
Earlier in the day, Zauner connected directly with UCSB's next generation of writers. She engaged with more than 50 undergraduate students from two writing classes during special sessions held in the Library: Introduction to Creative Writing (W&L CS 10) led by Professor Michelle Petty, College of Creative Studies and Writing Program, and Catalyst Writing Collective (ENGL 106CW) led by Professor Brian Donnelly, Department of English.
Overall, the milestone 20th anniversary year of UCSB Reads sparked incredible engagement across the entire campus and the broader Santa Barbara community. The Library distributed more than 1,800 free copies of Crying in H Mart to students and put copies of the book into the hands of community readers through local public libraries. The book was also integrated into 27 classes across 12 academic departments, with a combined enrollment of 727. The Library sponsored 30 events at UCSB and in Santa Barbara with a combined attendance of more than 2,600 people in winter and spring quarters. In addition, thousands of people engaged with the exhibition, Creating Community Through Books: 20 Years of UCSB Reads, which remains on display in UCSB Library's Ocean Gallery (1st Floor, Ocean Side) until January 2027.
UCSB Reads fosters a shared sense of belonging by bringing the UCSB campus and Santa Barbara communities together to read a common book that explores compelling issues of our time. The program is sponsored by UCSB Library and the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, and was started in 2007 by the Library and then Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas. Each year, a committee of UCSB faculty, students, staff, and community members selects a thought-provoking, interdisciplinary book written by a living author that encourages a wide range of readers to engage with a contemporary social, political, or cultural issue. Topics of UCSB Reads books have included climate change, human memory, racial justice, women in science, globalization, and wildfires, among many others.
