Off the Shelf literary festival draws famous faces Floella Benjamin, Dan Walker, Melvyn Bragg, Linton Kwesi Johnson

Dan Walker, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Irvine Walsh, Dame Floella Benjamin and Melvyn Bragg, clockwise from top left, are among the household names contributing to Off the Shelf Festival of Words (photo of Dan Walker: Laurie Fletcher, photo of Melvyn Bragg: Liam Nolan)

Household names including Hugh Bonneville, Melvyn Bragg, Baroness Floella Benjamin and the Reverend Richard Coles are participating in this year’s Off the Shelf Festival of Words.

A roll-call of Sheffield celebrities including broadcaster Dan Walker and musician Martyn Ware will be among those appearing in more than 80 live and online events.

The next generation of literary talent such as Maddie Mortimer, winner of this year’s Desmond Elliott Prize, will also be represented at the festival which runs from October 14 to 30, 2022.

William Sieghart, publisher, entrepreneur and founder of National Poetry Day will be appearing as part of this year’s event line-up, as will dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson who celebrates his 70th birthday and 50 years in activism this year. Sheffield author Desiree Reynolds continues the festival’s Black Women Write Now strand with an event with Kit de Waal.

Now in its 31st edition and spearheaded by the University of Sheffield, Off the Shelf is one of the UK’s largest literary festivals and takes place at various venues around South Yorkshire together with online presentations.

Akeem Balogun became involved with the festival 10 years ago as a volunteer, not long after he started writing. He has seen the festival grow alongside his career. This year he is curating an event for Off the Shelf 2022, billed as a multi layered immersive literary experience.

Akeem said: “My event, Words, Vision & Sound, aims to be one of the most creative events in Off the Shelf’s history. It will be the festival’s first event at Event Central, located in Fargate, and in the spirit of the festival, it will bring together established and talented artists who will allow us to experience literature in a wholly original manner.”

Professor Vanessa Toulmin, director of City & Culture, Partnerships and Regional Engagement at the University of Sheffield said: “ “Our national and international reputation allows us to bring well-known names to our region, and our flexibility provides the necessary platforms for up-and-coming literary talent to thrive. Niche and popular is our goal – a festival full of character and depth - and after 31 years it’s an ambition I believe we deliver.”

As part of this year’s festival, the University of Sheffield will be presenting a series of films, podcasts and talks about research from academics. Highlights include: The Politics of Street Trees with a panel discussing environmental benefits, history and context of Sheffield’s street trees and the recent crisis; and Understanding Palliative Care, an animation dispelling some of the myths about palliative care.

For the full programme and tickets, go to www.offtheshelf.org.uk Tickets can also be obtained in person or by telephone (0114 249 6000) from Sheffield Theatres box office.