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The Sheffield culture guide written by in-the-know locals

Off the Shelf

Photos from Off the Shelf 2022

Autumn in Sheffield is pretty much synonymous with literary delights, as Off the Shelf festival of books, words and ideas returns to the city. The festival hosts a programme packed with talks and readings from world renowned authors and poets, famous folk off the telly, and a few knowledgable locals.

Each year, the festival absorbs audiences in topics ranging from pop music to politics, fine art to feminism.

Come back soon for dates and our highlights among the writer talks, workshops and events in the 2026 programme.

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Forgotten Fiction

Tucked away in an arts and craft gallery is this small stand of books champions independent publishers and the craft of book making.

Porter Book Shop

A chalkboard out front invites “stuff fans” into this small but stacked secondhand bookshop on the independent high street of Sharrow Vale Road.

Hillsborough Bookshop

A bookshop with a focus on children’s books, sharing the power of stories and different voices within the Hillsborough community.

Désirée Reynolds

The writer – and DJ, journalist and mentor – talks to Annalisa Toccara about being inspired by ordinariness, making space for change, and curating the Black Women Write Now strand at Off the Shelf Festival 2020.