Literary giants, olympic legends and TV stars heading to Sheffield as Off the Shelf Festival returns – University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield announced that its Off the Shelf Festival of Words would return for its 33rd edition, running across Sheffield from 7 October to 3 November 2024. The programme matters as it brings major literary, cultural and media figures together with local writers, reinforcing the festival’s role in the city’s cultural calendar.
More than 80 live and online events were planned, featuring Richard Ayoade, Sara Pascoe, Julian Clary, David Nicholls, David and Yinka Olusoga, Wayne Sleep and Baroness Warsi. The programme also included poetry from Jackie Kay, discussions on activism and politics with Led By Donkeys, events curated by South Yorkshire writers, and appearances by Sheffield authors Sunjeev Sahota and Désirée Reynolds; tickets went on sale on 4 September.
- Sheffield’s Off the Shelf Festival returned for its 33rd year.
- More than 80 events ran from 7 October to 3 November.
- Major names joined local writers and university-led events.