Mahmoud Khalil “No Land To Stand On” | Busboys and Poets Books
Date and Time
Oct 11, 2026 5:00 pm
Location
14th & V
2021 14th St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20009
Oct 11, 2026 5:00 pm
14th & V
Busboys and Poets Books welcomes author Mahmoud Khalil for a conversation with journalist Ryan Grim about Khalil’s new memoir, No Land to Stand On: Notes from Detention.
In his first book, Khalil recounts his experience as a Palestinian graduate student and legal resident of the United States, including his detention by U.S. immigration authorities following his involvement in student protests at Columbia University. Drawing on his prison diary, Khalil describes his time in ICE detention, the uncertainty surrounding his case, and the impact of detention on his family and community.
The memoir also traces Khalil’s personal and family history - from his childhood in a Palestinian refugee camp in Syria and his family’s experiences of displacement, to his years in Lebanon and his eventual move to the United States. Throughout the book, he reflects on questions of immigration, free expression, displacement, family, and the ongoing struggle for Palestine.
Mahmoud Khalil is joining us on the Busboys and Poets stage alongside Ryan Grim, co-founder of Drop Site News and host of the podcast Deconstructed. Grim is a longtime investigative journalist and author whose work has appeared in The Intercept, HuffPost, Politico, and the Washington City Paper.
This evening offers an opportunity to hear directly from Mahmoud Khalil about the experiences and themes explored in No Land to Stand On, followed by an audience Q & A.
Free and open to all.
This event is free and open to all. Doors open to guests at 4:30 pm. Our program begins at 5:00 pm and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Copies of No Land to Stand On: Notes from Detention will be available for purchase before and after the event. Please note that this event is IN PERSON . Seating is available on a first come, first seated basis.
We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books
BOOK DETAILS
No Land to Stand On: Notes from Detention
By Mahmoud Khalil
09/29/2026 | Hardcover, 208 Pages, $27.99
