ROOTS (available to order on WordUpBooks.com) is a student-made visual nonfiction book created after a journey through the West Bank and Israel. In this virtual participatory reading, attendees will read selected pages aloud together, encountering local testimonies, student reflections, illustrations, and photography. Afterward, we will hold a calm, open reflection on listening, difference, and the human effort of understanding across a charged and painful topic.

ROOTS was created with contributions from Shanan Liu, Asuka Hatano (illustrations), Chenting Ma (book design), Linda Liu, Jarah Pan (photography), Hanan Schlesinger, Noor Awad, JK, Chaeni Lee, Tianxiao Cao, Dexter Fang, and Custard Apple. The book includes testimony, student reflection, photography, illustration, and design.

Shanan Liu is a Minerva University student and chief editor of ROOTS, a visual nonfiction book made by Minerva students after traveling through the West Bank and Israel in May 2025. Her work on ROOTS centers on student witness, listening across uncertainty, and the human effort of understanding.

Please register to receive the Zoom link.