Icons, Innovators, and Incredible Stories: Off the Shelf Returns for its Landmark 35th Edition

Icons, Innovators, and Incredible Stories: Off the Shelf Returns for its Landmark 35th Edition

Sheffield is getting ready to turn the page on its biggest literary celebration yet. Off the Shelf Festival of Words is returning from 28 September to 25 October for a landmark 35th edition, bringing a stellar lineup of household names, international literary icons, and homegrown talent to stages across the city centre.

Delivered by the University of Sheffield, this year’s festival boasts over 50 live and online events spanning literature, art, media, and sport.

Whether you’re a long-standing “Off the Shelfer” with your highlighter ready for the brochure, or a curious newcomer, 2026 promises one of the boldest, most vibrant, and diverse programmes in the festival’s history.

Icons and household names

This year’s line-up spans legendary athletes, bestselling novelists, satire masters, and television icons:

  • Sir Bradley Wiggins: The five-time Olympic gold medallist takes to the stage to share his deeply personal memoir, The Chain, charting a journey of survival and self-discovery.

  • Lee Child & Andrew Child: The powerhouse brothers discuss the latest thrilling installment in the Jack Reacher saga, Chain Reaction.

  • Marina Hyde: The award-winning Guardian columnist delivers her signature razor-sharp political satire from her new book, What a Time to Be Alive! Scenes from a Strange Age.

  • Lucy Porter: The beloved comedian brings a hilarious and empowering rally cry to middle-aged women with Middle-Aged Women Get Sht Done*.

  • Ben Okri: The Booker Prize-winning author introduces his latest masterpiece, Waking the Warriors, set in a compelling dystopian world.

  • Chris Chibnall: The mastermind behind Doctor Who and Broadchurch introduces his gripping second crime thriller.

Big ideas and bold voices

From the boundaries of human resilience to the future of our planet, the 2026 line-up dives into the ideas shaping our world:

  • Dr Hannah Critchlow explores how human minds can survive and thrive in the era of AI.

  • Naz Shah MP shares her extraordinary personal journey from childhood trauma to national political life.

  • Keith Brymer Jones, beloved Great Pottery Throwdown judge, charts a deeply personal history of ceramics in Firing Earth.

  • Professor Lady Sue Black, the UK’s leading forensic scientist, puts forensic science itself on trial using shocking landmark cases.

  • Arthur Snell, historian and geopolitical expert, offers a groundbreaking study on how the climate crisis is reshaping life—and presents a hopeful vision for the future.

Celebrating Sheffield’s heart and heritage

At its core, Off the Shelf remains a proud champion of Sheffield’s distinct identity, creative grit, and emerging local talent.

Journalist Daniel Dylan-Wray will present a musical love letter to the Steel City in his new book, Groovy, Laidback and Nasty, drawing on 150 interviews with legends like Pulp, Cabaret Voltaire, and Self Esteem.

Marking a momentous local milestone, Sheffield Poet Laureate Beth Davies will premiere a specially commissioned poem to close her tenure and hand over the mantle by revealing the identity of her successor.

Plus, celebrating diversity and community heritage, the free Roots and Futures interactive exhibition will take over the Winter Garden from 18 – 21 October, spotlighting underrepresented voices through immersive storytelling.

A fond farewell from Director Professor Vanessa Toulmin

This 35th edition marks a poignant moment for the festival team. Festival Director Professor Vanessa Toulmin will step down in December after a decade at the helm to return to the School of English.

“I am immensely proud of the role the University has played in saving, investing in and enabling the Festival to grow since taking it on over ten years ago. The Festival will continue to be shaped by its audience, its long-term supporters, and the vibrant cultural community it is part of.

“As we prepare to mark our 35th edition as one of the longest-running literary festivals in the UK, this year promises to be one of our boldest and most vibrant yet… Whether you’re a seasoned ‘Off the Shelfer’ or a first-timer curious to see what all the fuss is about, we can’t wait to welcome you.”

— Professor Vanessa Toulmin, Off the Shelf Festival Director

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