FAQ

Tickets

How do I contact the SAL Box Office, and what are your hours?

  • Regular Box Office Hours: Monday–Thursday 12 noon–5 p.m. & Fridays 10 a.m–1 p.m.
  • Event Days: 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

Email us at boxoffice@lectures.org or call (206) 621-2230 x 10.

How can I purchase tickets?

  • Online at lectures.org
  • By phone at 206.621.2230 x10
  • At the Box Office at the event, beginning at 6 p.m. (if tickets are still available and the event is happening in-person).

We accept all major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express), Apple Pay, Google Pay, cash, and checks.

Do you offer reduced-cost or free tickets?

Yes! Check out our reduced-cost and free ticket options.

We also host free events every season; check out our events calendar and filter by “Free” to see what we have on offer.

Do in-person tickets come with online streaming access?

In-person tickets do not include online streaming access. If you would like to watch the event online, please purchase a streaming ticket separately.

If you need to exchange your in-person ticket for a streaming ticket, contact the SAL Box Office before noon on the day of your event.

Does SAL sell gift cards?

Yes! Click here to purchase an e-gift card, sent virtually.

Our gift cards are issued through a third party. Please read their gift card FAQ here.

How do you set your ticket prices?

The true cost of a ticket to a literary event at SAL is $70. Our base ticket prices range from $7 – $90 so that our community can join us and help sustain our programming in a way that feels accessible.

We offer $7 Pay What You Can tickets to all of our events; these tickets help SAL create access for those with the greatest economic need.

All Benaroya Hall events incur a $6 facility fee per ticket and Will Call tickets incur a $5 fee per order.

Does SAL offer discounts for students, groups, and other individuals?

Yes! Click here for more information about SAL’s no-cost and reduced ticket options.

I'm a subscriber. How do I use my $10 off single tickets benefit?

To use this subscriber benefit, call the Box Office and let us know you’re a subscriber! We will then manually take the $10 off your single ticket order. This can’t be done automatically or online.

How do I redeem my Flex Pass?

  • To redeem your Flex Pass Vouchers:
    • Contact the SAL Box Office at boxoffice@lectures.org or 206.621.2330 x10.
    • Or visit the SAL Box Office on the night of the event (based on availability).
    • The Flex Pass may be redeemed for up to four tickets to eligible SAL events within the 2025/26 Season only.
    • Tickets may be used in any combination:
      • One ticket to four different events
      • Four tickets to one event for a group
      • Two in-person tickets and two streaming tickets
  • Advance reservations are highly recommended for best availability.

The Flex Pass expires June 8, 2026; any unused tickets will be forfeited and cannot be refunded or carried forward.

For more information, visit lectures.org/flex-pass.

Help, I lost my tickets! What can I do?

Your tickets will be re-emailed to you at 8:30 a.m. (PT) on the day of the event in the pre-event reminder email. Check your inbox (including spam) for an email from boxoffice@lectures.org.

If you selected “Will Call” as your ticket delivery method, your tickets will be held at the SAL Box Office on the night of your event, starting at 6 p.m. (PT).

If you still can’t find your tickets, come to the Box Office when you arrive at the venue and we will be happy to assist you.

Can I return or exchange my tickets?

Is there a friend or family member who would be able to attend in your place? You may share the ticket to whomever you’d like!

Tickets and subscriptions are non-refundable; however, exchanges are an option. To process an exchange, contact the SAL Box Office at boxoffice@lectures.org or at 206.621.2230 x10 in advance of your event. Exchanges must be processed before 12 p.m. (noon) of the day of your scheduled event. We can exchange your ticket for a streaming ticket, another event, or a gift card. Please note that complimentary tickets are only exchangeable for streaming tickets to the same event.

If you can’t attend the event, you are welcome to consider the cost of your ticket a donation to SAL. In that case, no further action is needed, and we greatly appreciate your support!

Books

My ticket includes a book. When will I get the book?

Books are mailed media mail to the ticket holder’s door beginning on the book’s publication date from our bookstore partner for the event. If you purchased your ticket after the book’s publication date, the book list is sent to the bookstore on an rolling basis.

Not sure when the publication date is? Check the event page under Know Before You Go!

My book order was returned to the bookstore. What do I do?

Please reach out to the SAL Box Office, and we can help you with your book order.

My book order is marked as delivered, but I never received it. What do I do?

Unfortunately, SAL can’t be responsible for stolen or missing packages marked “delivered” by USPS or UPS tracking. Missing package claims must be made with the USPS or UPS.

I want to exchange my book and ticket for a ticket to another event. Can I get a refund for the book?

Tickets and subscriptions are nonrefundable. In the case of an exchanged ticket that comes with a book, the purchase of the book has already been processed and supported one of our local independent bookstores.

I am living outside the United States. Does SAL ship books internationally?

SAL is unable to ship books internationally.

If you’re purchasing streaming passes outside the U.S. and your ticket includes a book, please contact the Box Office at 206-621-2230 x10 to place your ticket order. If you have already placed your ticket order via our website, contact the Box Office in order to have your book purchase removed.

If you are living abroad but attending your SAL event in person, please contact the Box Office to arrange an in-person book pick up at the SAL information table in the lobby at the event.

Why does my ticket come with a book?

The speakers SAL presents are often on book tour, meaning their publisher is excited to sell as many copies of their book as possible with event tickets. We love supporting book sales to keep the industry alive and well!

All the proceeds from book sales go directly to our local independent bookstores. One large scale book-and-ticket event can bring in as much revenue for a bookstore as a full year’s worth of smaller events.

We always aim to negotiate a certain amount of tickets without books. All of our events have a no-book $7 Pay What You Can ticket option for digital or in-person viewing.

Events: In-Person & Streaming

What accessibility options does SAL have?

Click here to visit our accessibility page or contact the box office you have any additional questions.

Do you have free events?

We do! We host free events every season, such as our Murmurations events and silent reading parties; check out our events calendar and filter by “Free” to see what we have on offer.

Can I bring my camera to the event? Do you take photos?

Unless otherwise stated, we are happy for you to take photos for personal use and to post on social media. No flash photography during events.

At SAL events, we take our own professional photography and videography for archival and marketing purposes. If you do not wish your photo to be taken at our events, stop by our information table and pick up a “No Photos” sticker to signal your wishes our photographer.

We do not allow video or audio recording.

How early should I arrive for an event?

General admission means that seating is first-come, first-serve, within the section listed on the ticket.

Late seating is permitted at SAL events. However, your seat is not guaranteed after 7:30 p.m.

I need venue directions and parking information.

On your event page, check the righthand side of the page for our “Know Before You Go” section for directions and parking information.

How do I access online events if I purchased a streaming ticket?

If you purchased a streaming ticket, SAL will send a pre-event reminder email with instructions to log in and access the online stream on the day of the event. When your event is starting, head to your event page, and type in the password where prompted. For additional instructions, visit our help page.

Can I watch an online event after it airs?

Yes! If you purchased a streaming ticket, the link to your online event will be available for a full week after the event ends. The link and password will remain the same.

If you purchased a streaming ticket after the event has started, your ticket contains the link and password in the “See Details” section.

You are welcome to watch an online event as many times as you can in the week following.

I lost something at an event, who should I contact to retrieve it?

Please contact the venue directly to inquire about lost and found items.

Can I bring my child to the event?

Yes! If your kiddo will be held or on your lap during the event, no need to obtain an extra ticket.

Arts Education

Can you bring an author to my school?

Yes! Through our Spotlight Author Visit program, we bring visiting and local authors into K-12 public schools for free, one-time, 45 minute sessions. Learn more here and request a Spotlight Author Visit to your school here.

Can I invite the Youth Poet Laureate to speak at my event?

Yes! Submit a speaker request form here, and our team will follow up shortly.

How can my school become a WITS partner school?

Tell us more about you, your school, and your interest in partnering! Submit your application here and a member of our staff will get back to you shortly.

Have additional questions that you’d like to chat about? Reach out to us at wits@lectures.org.

Does it cost money to be a WITS partner school?

Yes… for now.

The total cost of a typical, 84-hour WITS residency is $20,000. Partner schools make small contributions through tiered subsidized hourly rates that range from $40/hour-$90/hour. Hourly rates are determined based on a data-driven, intersectional analysis of schools’ student populations and their collective access to arts education opportunities.

However, we are currently in our third year of WITS Rewritten, a funding initiative that centers youth with the least access to arts engagement opportunities and eradicates the school fee to participate. In the 2026/27 school year, we will serve 15 schools through WITS Rewritten (at no cost to the school). Learn more here.

What is WITS Rewritten?

WITS Rewritten brings our Writers in the Schools (WITS) program into classrooms for free.

There is no programmatic difference between Writers in the Schools and WITS Rewritten. It’s the same beloved 30+ year program, with two key evolutions: an organizational commitment to centering youth with the least access to arts engagement opportunities—essential voices in the literary community—and the elimination of cost for partner schools, the biggest barrier to participation.

Learn more here.

Help, I lost my kid’s permission slip? What do I do?

  • Has your student been invited to read their work at the WITS Year End Readings? The online permission slip is here.
  • Has your student been invited to have their work published in the annual WITS anthology? The online permission slip is here.
  • Are we taking photographs in your student’s classroom? The general permission slip is here.

How do you work with Seattle Children's Hospital?

Since 2009, we have brought WITS Writers into the hospital to support patients in writing their stories. Learn more about how we do this work here.

Do you offer after-school creative writing programs?

No. We currently don’t have capacity to offer after-school creative writing programs on site at schools. (We do lead our Youth Poetry Fellowship program on Saturdays.)

Get Involved

How can I keep up-to-date with SAL?

To sign up for our email and/or mailing list, click here. Follow us on social media at:

How do I volunteer with SAL?

Click here to view our current volunteer, job, and partnership opportunities.

How can I become a WITS Writer? Do I need to have a lot of teaching experience?

We accept applications to join the WITS Writers Collective every summer. Eligible applicants must have at least 1-2 years of teaching or mentoring experience with elementary, middle, or high school students.

We encourage writers who don’t meet these qualifications to apply for our biennial, year-long WITS Apprenticeship program. Throughout the program, WITS Apprentices are paired with experienced WITS Writers and develop pedagogical skills, strengthen curriculum development, and refine their teaching voices.

Check out our About page to apply to be a WITS Writer or a WITS Apprentice.

How can I become the Seattle Youth Poet Laureate or a Youth Poetry Fellow?

We accept applications for our Youth Poetry Fellowship every April. All Youth Poetry Fellowship applicants have the option to request consideration to be the Youth Poet Laureate. Check out our About page page to learn more and apply.

How can I support SAL and its mission? How do I partner with SAL?

Click here to find out more about how you can get involved with corporate and individual giving.

Are you a community partner who would like to table at our events, or partner with our organization in other ways? Visit this page to learn more.

General

When was SAL founded?

SAL was founded in 1987 and launched our first season in 1988. Since then, we have supported writers and readers through our literary events and through arts education programs.

What is SAL’s relationship to your venues?

SAL does not have its own performance space. We rent all of our venues from nonprofit and cultural partners—including Benaroya Hall, Town Hall Seattle, Common Objects, Rainier Arts Center, Meany Center for the Performing Arts, and more—to present our literary events.

How are SAL and WITS connected?

WITS is SAL’s flagship arts education program. Since 1994, WITS has brought professional writers into public K–12 schools across the Puget Sound. Together, SAL’s public programs and arts education programs build a literary ecosystem that supports readers and writers at every stage of life. Learn more about WITS.

How does SAL support local and visiting writers?

SAL supports writers by providing platforms, resources, and audiences for their work.

We provide local writers with robust, year-round work opportunities through our arts education programs, as well as public reading and artist residency opportunities. We present visiting authors on SAL stages by hosting conversations, talks, and readings, helping writers reach new audiences and fostering dialogue about their works.

Learn more by checking out our programs.

How does SAL contribute to the creative economy?

SAL contributes to the creative economy by investing in writers, educators, and the broader literary arts ecosystem. In 2024/25, we raised over $350,000 in local independent bookstore sales. We paid over $200,000 in honoraria to visiting writers and local moderators, and we paid our teaching artists and mentors over $395,000.

Through these paid opportunities for authors, teaching artists, and booksellers, SAL supports both emerging and established writers while cultivating the next generation of storytellers.