Busboys and Poets

10/08/2026

He was on his way to Busboys and Poets to speak about art as resistance. He never made it.

Award-winning Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh was detained by ICE at Dulles Airport while traveling to Washington, D.C. for an Art as Resistance conversation at Busboys and Poets.

We’re joining the call for answers, due process, and his release.

10/08/2026

Estamos Aquí. We Are Here.

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with an evening of poetry, music, and storytelling honoring the voices and cultures of the Latinx community. Hosted by poet and teaching artist Tatiana Figueroa Ramirez.

Saturday, October 10 · 6 PM
Busboys and Poets 450K
450 K St NW, Washington, DC

Tickets: $5 online (plus taxes and fees) or $8 at the door.

Bring your voice, your story, your rhythm—or come ready to listen and celebrate with us.

Event details and tickets: https://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/estamos-aqui-hispanic-heritage-month-open-mic/

10/08/2026

Your next chilling read might come from an author next door.

Get into the Halloween spirit with Author Next Door: Hometown Horrors—a gathering of DMV writers whose stories explore mystery, suspense, and the supernatural. Join Nicole Glover, Kevin Obike, Jennifer van der Kleut, and Tracy Cross for readings, conversation, audience Q&A, and a book signing.

Featured books:
The Starseekers — Nicole Glover
The Dead Man’s Dame — Kevin Obike
The Better Mother — Jennifer van der Kleut
A Gathering of Weapons — Tracy Cross

Sunday, October 25 · 5 PM
Busboys and Poets Takoma
235 Carroll St NW, Washington, DC

Free and open to all. Books will be available for purchase and signing. Come meet your next favorite local author.

Details and RSVP: https://www.busboysandpoets.com/events/author-next-door-hometown-horrors-a-busboys-and-poets-books-presentation/

10/06/2026

What does survival look like when a people, a land, and a way of life are under threat?

Join us October 12 at Busboys and Poets for **Palestine: Genocide, Ecocide, Erasure and Survival** — a conversation with experts from Gaza and the West Bank exploring the current challenges facing Palestine and the paths forward.

Featuring Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, Hanadi Muhanna, Dr. Ahmed Abu Shaban, and Laila El-Haddad.

The evening will also include a quintessential Gazan dish prepared for guests to sample.

📅 October 12, 2026
⏰ 4–6 PM
📍 Busboys and Poets — 14th & V
🎟️ $10

Learn more at GrowingPalestine.com.

10/05/2026

10/03/2026

🇵🇸 You’re showing up. You’re speaking up. And we’re listening.

The response to our Free Palestine campaign has been powerful, and the conversation continues today.

Come to Busboys and Poets, order a Free Palestine, and tell us why you chose it.

🎥 Share your reason
🇵🇸 Say “Free Palestine”
📲 Post + tag Busboys and Poets
🍹 Show your post to a manager

The first 100 participants receive their Free Palestine drink on us.

Already participated? Keep sharing the campaign and the voices behind it.

The conversation is growing. Keep it going. 🇵🇸

10/02/2026

Mahmoud Khalil comes to Busboys and Poets.

Join us Sunday, October 11 for a conversation with Mahmoud Khalil, author of No Land to Stand On: Notes from Detention, in conversation with journalist Ryan Grim.

📅 Sunday, October 11
🕔 5 PM
📍 Busboys and Poets 14th & V

Join us for an evening of conversation around Khalil’s new book, his experiences, and the stories behind No Land to Stand On.

Learn more at busboysandpoets.com/events

10/02/2026

🇵🇸 FREE PALESTINE. Say it. Share it. Tell us why.

Order a Free Palestine at Busboys and Poets and tell us why you chose it.

🎥 Record your video
🇵🇸 Say “Free Palestine”
📲 Post it + tag Busboys and Poets
🍹 Show your post to a manager

The first 100 participants will receive their Free Palestine drink on us.

We want to hear from you.

What does “Free Palestine” mean to you?

10/01/2026

Join us next week for a screening of our latest Fault Lines investigation, Killing at Sea, on October 6 at Busboys and Poets in D.C.

In Killing at Sea, Fault Lines investigates the administration’s claims about its military campaign against suspected drug traffickers, uncovering the stories of those targeted and examining the evidence used to justify their deaths.

From fishing communities in the Caribbean to the halls of congress in Washington, D.C., Killing at Sea examines a military campaign conducted largely beyond public view and asks who is being killed in America’s new war at sea, and why.

09/25/2026

Busboys and Poets presents America at a Crossroads: A People’s Conversation with Congressman Ro Khanna, an evening of dialogue on foreign policy, democracy, and the issues shaping the future of the country. Join us at Busboys and Poets 14th & V for a timely conversation that invites community members to gather, listen, ask questions, and engage with the political choices facing America at home and abroad.