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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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Sheffield Beer Week

Mon. 9 March 2026 — Mon. 16 March 2026

7 days of beery fun. With brewery tours and tastings, a ceramic tankard-marking workshop, history walks, tap takeovers, and more. And for 2026, a special homage to Sheffield's electronic music heritage.

Rae de Soleil

A firm fixture on Sheffield's poetry scene, weaving the ills of society and its oppression within each word and unravelling the personal-political.

And Other Stories

An indie publishing house, boldly trying to transform the world of books.

Helen Mort

A poet with one foot in Sheffield and another in Derbyshire, who finds inspiration at the top of hills, in ghost stories, pubs, friendship, the aftertaste of whisky, the miners' strike, and in lost love.