Off the Shelf

Off the Shelf Festival of Words is one of the largest literary festivals in the UK, attracting some of the best-known names in literature and media to Sheffield each year.

Taking place across October, the festival hosts a varied programme with hundreds of events taking place - including talks, Q&As, readings, screenings and live performances for all ages. The festival covers the whole literary spectrum, showcasing work across fiction and nonfiction, poetry, politics, journalism, music, history and science.  

Having taken place for over 30 years, Off the Shelf one of the city’s longest running cultural events, organised by the University of Sheffield with support from Arts Council England, Sheffield Hallam University, and several commercial partners.

Having switched to a hybrid festival programme for 2020 and 2021, the 2022 edition of the festival will be back with a host of in-person events 14 - 30 October, alongside some online content. Look out for the festival programme announcements in the summer: offtheshelf.org.uk