Shirlington is a literary community!

We had a great meeting this past Saturday morning at Shirlington welcoming new members and choosing upcoming books to read & discuss.

The book club meets on the third Saturday of every month at 9am in the Robeson Room. Always open to new members!  Support your local, independent bookstore and purchase your books from Busboys and Poets Books at Shirlington!

Upcoming books and meetings:

August 17, 2013

: “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Diaz
Chapter 1 of “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn

September 21, 2013

: “The Other Wes Moore” by Wes Moore
Chapter 2 of “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn

October 19, 2013

: “What It Was” by George Pelecanos
Chapter 3 of “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn

We also have a book club at Hyattsville that meets on the last Saturday of every month at 9am in the Zinn Room.

The Making of Busboys and Poets

A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets

We’re proud to announce A Seat at the Table: The Making of Busboys and Poets, the new memoir from our CEO and Founder, which reveals the vision, challenges, and triumphs behind opening Busboys and Poets. Packed with misadventures, unexpected triumphs, and insights on race, business and politics, Andy Shallal’s memoir takes us on a “How I Built … Continued

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For Langston Hughes on His 123 Birthday

Speech given on February 1, 2024 in Havana, Cuba In 1927 Langston Hughes walked into a Cuba amid an emerging community of artists, intellectuals, and radicals.  He saw a “sunrise in a new land [– a day – in his words]sic – full of brownskin surprises, and hitherto unknown contacts in a world of color.”  … Continued

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Palestine Week 2024

January 18, 2024 – January 25, 2024 In keeping with our ongoing mission of uplifting racial and cultural connections, Busboys and Poets is hosting Palestine Week (January 18 through January 25, 2024). This week-long series of events will offer a diverse range of programming featuring Palestinian food, music, dance, poetry, discussions, and other enriching events. … Continued

AndyShallal PeaceandStruggle

Andy Shallal

Founder/CEO Andy Shallal is an artist, social entrepreneur and founder/CEO of Busboys and Poets, a restaurant group in the Washington Metropolitan area where art, culture and politics intentionally collide over mindfully sourced food, drinks, books and event programming. With six, soon to be seven locations in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, Busboys and Poets has … Continued

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A New House Celebration

We celebrated the newly elected members of Congress on January 4, with special guest moderators, Medea Benjamin (CODEPINK) and Raed Jarrar (Iraqi-American Peace and Human Rights Activist). The audience raised domestic and international issues they wanted to discuss with members of Congress who may have attended. Many members of congress were still in session, but … Continued

Valentine’s Day Picks with Busboys and Poets Books

Valentine’s Day Picks with Busboys and Poets Books

Whether you are spending this Valentine’s day with that special someone or curled up with a wine bottle alone on a reading binge, there is a book for you. Here is a quick overview of the best books to get for the 14th, because the best Valentine usually comes in the form of a hardcover … Continued