Seattle Reads Presents: Sara Nović with Ross Showalter

Meet Sara Nović the author of "True Biz," the Seattle Reads 2026 selection. Sara Nović will appear in conversation with Ross Showalter.

About the Book

“True Biz” by Sara Nović (Random House)

True biz (adj./exclamation; American Sign Language): really, seriously, definitely, real-talk

True biz: The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history finals, and have politicians, doctors, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they’ll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who’s never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school’s golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever.

About Sara Nović:

Sara Nović is the author of the New York Times bestseller “True Biz” and “Girl at War,” both of which won the American Library Association’s Alex Award. Her latest book is “Mother Tongue: A Memoir.” She is an activist and an instructor of deaf studies and creative writing, and lives in Pennsylvania with her family.

About the Moderator:

Ross Showalter is a short-story writer and essayist who has published in The New York Times, Bright Wall/Dark Room, The Offing, and elsewhere. He teaches creative writing in UCLA Extension Writers’ Program.

Accessibility: ASL interpretation and CART live captioning will be provided at all events.

The Seattle Public Library can provide accommodations for people with disabilities at Library events. Please contact LEAP at least seven days before the event to request any additional accommodations.

Seattle Reads is presented in partnership with Deaf Lit Fest, Deaf Spotlight, Hearing Loss Association of America – Washington State Association (HLAA-WA), Hearing, Speech & Deaf Center (HSDC), and Hugo House.

It is made possible by The Seattle Public Library Foundation, with additional support from 4Culture, Random House, and media sponsor The Seattle Times.

RSVP for this event here!

The House bar will be open to serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.