College Librarian Elizabeth Adams with her book recommendation The Arrival, by Shaun Tan

To mark World Book Day 2026, we would like to share the first in our series of book recommendations which have been gathered as part of the National Year of Reading 2026.

The College invited current Univ students, staff, Fellows and other academics to recommend books that have inspired or empowered them, shifted their perspective, or influenced them. We will be sharing these recommendations over the coming months.

Elizabeth Adams, College Librarian at Univ, has recommended The Arrival by Shaun Tan.

Elizabeth said: “Shaun Tan’s, The Arrival, is a book without words. Through his finely drawn illustrations, Tan tells the story of a man who leaves his family and all he knows to make a new life in an unknown land. We see him navigating a new language, different food, and unfamiliar customs as he tries to find a job and somewhere to live. More than just a story about migration, the book looks at ideas of belonging, otherness, wonder, and hope. Without any words, the story is different on each ‘reading’.”

The National Year of Reading

The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign designed to help more people rediscover the joy of reading. It is a Department for Education initiative, supported by more than 60 partners, including the National Literary Trust, The Reading Agency, the BookTrust and World Book Day. Further details can be found on the National Year of Reading website at https://goallin.org.uk/

You can watch a video of Elizabeth talking about her book recommendation below.

Published: 5 March 2026

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