Off the Shelf Festival of Words

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.

Taking place in October each year, 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.  

It has now taken place for over 30 years, making 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 and 2023 editions returned to host an array of in-person events, with some additional online content.

The 2024 Off the Shelf festival is set to take place Monday 7 October through to Sunday 3 November, with over 80 events across the city, including big names such as Sara Pascoe, Richard Ayoade, Julian Clary, Jackie Kay, Asako Yuzuki, David Nicholls and David Olusoga, plus many more.

See the full festival programme at: offtheshelf.org.uk