Off the Shelf Festival

The Off the Shelf Festival of Words takes place in Sheffield, England, during October each year. It is organised by the University of Sheffield with support from Arts Council England, Sheffield Hallam University and several commercial companies. The Festival offers a wide range of events for all ages.

History
First held in 1991, the Off the Shelf Festival of Words has become an annual event attracting literature and media personalities to Sheffield. Off the Shelf is one of the United Kingdom's biggest and most significant writing and reading festivals, combining a selection of authors, poets, journalists and broadcasters. The festival also caters for community and outreach provision and supports emerging writers through workshops, exhibitions, storytelling, talks, walks. It also runs a programme of events for children and young people.

Previous festivals have included events with


 * Simon Armitage
 * Nick Clegg
 * Carol Ann Duffy
 * Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
 * Michael Frayn
 * Stephen Fry
 * Donna Hilbert
 * Nick Hornby
 * Doris Lessing
 * David Lodge
 * John Lydon
 * Paul Merton
 * Michael Morpurgo
 * Helen Mort
 * Andrew Motion
 * Jamie Oliver
 * Jodi Picoult
 * John Pilger
 * Ian Rankin
 * Michael Rosen
 * Prunella Scales
 * Will Self
 * Lionel Shriver
 * Lemn Sissay
 * David Starkey
 * Claire Tomalin
 * Rose Tremain
 * Benjamin Zephaniah