Off the Shelf Festival of Words celebrates its 35th edition across Sheffield

Every October, Sheffield becomes a city of stories, and this year's Off the Shelf Festival of Words has been one to remember. The 35th edition runs from 28 September to 25 October 2026, with more than 50 live and online events across the city.

Off the Shelf began in the early 1990s as a collaboration with Sheffield's libraries and has grown into one of the UK's longest-running literary festivals. It is now delivered by the University of Sheffield. In its early days, the festival says, its curators recruited big-name authors by sending them Valentine's Day cards signed from "a city full of admirers."

This year's line-up shows that charm still works. Exposed Magazine highlights events with Sir Bradley Wiggins, Marina Hyde, Lee Child and Andrew Child, Chris Chibnall, Lucy Porter, Ben Okri, Keith Brymer Jones and Professor Lady Sue Black. Sheffield stories feature strongly too, with Daniel Dylan-Wray's book on the city's music scene and Sheffield Poet Laureate Beth Davies premiering a commissioned poem as her tenure ends.

The festival is also a moment of change. Festival Director Professor Vanessa Toulmin is stepping back after this year and returning to the University of Sheffield's School of English. She told Exposed that the festival had been at risk when the council planned to cut it, and that the university stepped in to take it on.

Under her leadership it introduced initiatives such as the SlamBarz and Hive Young Writers programmes and became associated with the Sheffield Poet Laureate role. She also points out that the festival pays authors a fee. "The festival is strong enough now," she said. "No, it's not about one person; it's about the structure you put in place so you can walk away."

Her message to readers is simple: "If you don't support Off the Shelf, you will lose it."

The festival works with partners including Sheffield Hallam University and the Women's Prize Trust, and with local booksellers such as Juno Books, La Biblioteka and Rhyme & Reason. It has supported writers such as Helen Mort and Sunjeev Sahota, and independent publishers including And Other Stories and The Poetry Business.

As this year's festival draws to a close, it leaves Sheffield's love of words in good heart.

Event listings, news and next year's dates will be published on the Off the Shelf website.