We are delighted to announce that Department of Humanities at Sheffield Hallam University will be running Off the Shelf – Festival of Words this year, in conjunction with The University of Sheffield, from October 5-26th.
Off the Shelf is one of the largest literary festivals in the UK. Since 1991 it has been attracting some of the biggest names in literature and the arts to Sheffield including, Hilary Mantel, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, David Mitchell, Rose Tremain, Sarah Waters, Nick Hornby, Simon Armitage, Benjamin Zephaniah, the Hairy Bikers, Jamie Oliver, Owen Jones and Ian Rankin – to name just a few.
The programme of events is jointly curated by Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield. This year each University is curating a themed strand in addition to the main programme.
The themes this year are:
- Sheffield Hallam University – The Environment – curated by Dr Niamh Downing and Dr Harriet Tarlo (Department of Humanities)
- University of Sheffield – Working Class Voices – curated by Dr David Forrest (School of English)
If you are interested in getting involved in the festival, there are several ways in which you can do this. We are keen to hear from anyone who would be interested in either:
- Hosting an ‘in-conversation’ with one of the speakers*
- Introducing one of the speakers*
- Running a public engagement event
*In August and September we will be approaching academics whose work is relevant to that of the speakers at this year’s festival, so although we can’t guarantee there will be someone who will be the right fit for you to introduce or host you will be on our list of academics to consult first.
If you are interested, please send an email to offtheshelf@shu.ac.uk by 12th June stating your subject area, and indicating whether you are interested in hosting an ‘in-conversation’ or introducing a speaker.
Public Engagement Opportunity
We have a few slots available at this year’s festival for public engagement events from SHU academics. In the past these events have been well attended and are an excellent opportunity to share our research with the community.
We encourage applications from anyone who has had a book published recently or has one coming out either on, or before, October 2019, OR, applications for an event which links to a REF impact case study.
We are interested in applications from anyone who thinks they can make their research interesting and engaging to the public. Examples of public engagement events might include; running a workshop, an illustrated talk, hosting a debate or forum, presenting a film screening, organising an exhibition, giving a walking tour, or working with schools.
The benefits of running a public engagement event can be huge. It can provide valuable impact, improve the quality and relevance of your research, help you develop useful skills and spark new ideas and research questions. For the public, it might stimulate their own curiosity, raise aspirations, develop knowledge and understanding, and develop a relationship with the University. This links to the core mission of Off the Shelf, which is to bring literature and the arts to all parts of the community.
If you are interested in getting involved, please send an email to offtheshelf@shu.ac.uk outlining in no more than 400 words:
- What the event is
- Who your target audience is
- What the purpose is of your event
- What format will the event be
If successful, you will receive support with planning, organising and marketing your event which will also be listed in the main ‘Off the Shelf’ brochure which reaches over 250,000 people across South Yorkshire and many more online.
*Please note that your event does not have to be related to either environment or the working-class voices theme. It can be on any topic*
You can find out more about the festival here.
The call for applications is open from now until 12th June after which your application will be reviewed by a panel, applicants will be notified by 21st June about the outcome.
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