A Conversation with Padma Lakshmi

Tuesday, November 18, 2025 7:30 pm PST

Join food expert, television producer, and bestselling author Padma Lakshmi in a trip across the United States in Padma’s All American. Five years in the makingthis kaleidoscopic work compiles dozens of recipes from immigrant and Indigenous communities, as well as many from Lakshmi’s own family, and shows us what really comprises American cuisine.

Inez & Vinoodh

A Conversation with Salman Rushdie

Tuesday, December 2, 2025 7:30 pm PST

From internationally renowned, award-winning author Salman Rushdie comes a spellbinding exploration of life, death, and what comes into focus at the proverbial eleventh hour of life.

Rachel Eliza Griffiths

Give the Gift of SAL!

Give the book lover in your life (maybe that’s you!) the freedom to build their perfect literary season. With a 4-Part Flex Pass, you get four tickets in our 2025/26 Season to use any way you choose—share them with friends or savor four unforgettable nights all to yourself.

Upcoming SAL Events

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A Conversation with Padma Lakshmi

Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Community Curated Series: Colleen Echohawk Presents

Join food expert, television producer, and bestselling author Padma Lakshmi in a trip across the United States in Padma’s All American.

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Murmurations

Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Community

This four-part reading series features acclaimed poets, writers, and comics artists who teach in SAL’s Writers in the Schools (WITS) program. In addition to cultivating the next generation of writers, WITS writers are their own creative forces.

A Conversation with Salman Rushdie Image

A Conversation with Salman Rushdie

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

SAL Presents

From internationally renowned, award-winning author Salman Rushdie comes a spellbinding exploration of life, death, and what comes into focus at the proverbial eleventh hour of life. Tickets with “& Book” include a copy of The Eleventh Hour, shipped to your door by our bookstore partner Elliott Bay Book Company. Q&A with Tessa Hulls. PLEASE NOTE: There will be metal detection and bag checks at the lobby doors. No bags larger than 8.5″ x 11″ will be allowed into the lobby or auditorium. The lobby and box office will open at 5:30 p.m. Please plan to arrive early in order to allow more time for entering the venue.

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YPF Celebration Reading

Friday, December 12, 2025

Free Events

Join us for a celebratory poetry reading featuring SAL’s talented Youth Poetry Fellows.

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WITS Professional Development for Educators Workshop with Putsata Reang

Wednesday, January 7, 2026

The Things We Carry: A Professional Development Training for Educators This professional development is designed to offer strategies for critical thinking & deep self inquiry, encourage writing, and foster a sense of resilience by way of writing exercises, idea generators, and utilizing Social constructivist pedagogy as a lens for learning and play. Participants can expect to leave the workshop with a selection of new methodologies and prompts, a recursive strategy for classroom use, and suggestions for bringing innovative literature into the learning space. This two-hour workshop will fulfill OSPI’s Continuing Education clock hours (2) for all state educators and meets the requirements for ongoing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) for teacher certification. This course will offer free resources and is suitable for teachers and learners of all ages including adult learners. Writers may also find the content useful.

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Colm Tóibín

Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Literary Arts

The Irish writer Colm Tóibín grew up in a home where, he once said, there was “a great deal of silence.” He has since made a career of telling stories—clear and human—to the world through his many volumes of fiction and non-fiction, drama, and poetry, including works like the bestselling, critically acclaimed Brooklyn and its sequel Long Island.

Seattle Arts & Lectures cultivates transformative experiences through story and language with readers and writers of all generations.
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Support

Individual Giving

Co-author SAL’s story with a special year-end gift today! 

As an organization committed to nurturing our collective literary ecosystem, we lean into connection, reciprocity, and co-creation in all that we do. We look to you, the readers, thinkers, writers—the co-authors—of the SAL story to help carry our work forward in the next year. Your gift will help us make transformational experiences with stories and language accessible to all.

Donate today!

Community

Summer Book Bingo

Summer Book Bingo 2025 has launched! Every summer, we partner with The Seattle Public Library and King County Library System to create a Summer Book Bingo card as part of our free summer reading program. Adults, teens, and kids play along from May – September to be entered in a chance to win fabulous prizes.

Gift Cards

Give the gift of SAL! If you’re looking for a literary-themed gift for loved ones near and far, SAL’s digital gift cards are on sale now for in-person and streaming events.