Associate Partner Events 2019
Off the Shelf Festival of Words 2019
Saturday 5 – Saturday 26 October
Associate Partner Events 2019
Off the Shelf is one of the largest literary festivals in the UK and we could not run without the help of our Associated Partners who have sponsored some of this year’s most anticipated events.
Thank you for your continued support.
Crossroads – Mark Radcliffe
Monday 7 October, 8:00pm
Foundry, University of Sheffield Students’ Union, Western Bank, S10 2TG
Much-loved multi-award-winning BBC broadcaster and musician Mark Radcliffe presents a warm, personal reflection on crucial turning points in the history of music. Drawing on a lifetime’s experience he selects pivotal tracks and explores how the musicians – from Woodie Guthrie to Gloria Gaynor, Kurt Cobain to Bob Marley – had reached the crossroads that led to such epoch-changing sounds. A love letter to music framed by Radcliffe’s waggish and amiable style and his own life-changing challenges.
Sponsor: South Street Kitchen
South Street Kitchen is an independent cafe based in Park Hill flats, right next to Sheffield’s train station and the city centre. www.southstreetkicthen.org
Live with the Sheffield Laureate – Otis Mensah & Guests
Monday 7 October, 8:00pm
Theatre Deli, 202 Eyre Street, S1 4QZ
Otis Mensah is Sheffield’s first poet laureate, a title bestowed on him by former Lord Mayor Magid Magid. A hip hop artist who has performed at Glastonbury this story-teller-rapper-poet, born and bred in Sheffield, is known globally. Otis has said he wants to use his role to break down barriers to poetry. Join him and his invited guest poets Raluca de Soleil, Birdspeed and Dami thegannette Okhiria as they prepare to do that just that.
Associate partner: Alumno Group
Alumno Group is bringing forward proposals for the third phase at Park Hill to be called Béton House. www.alumnogroup.com
Naturalistic Planting Design: The Essential Guide – Professor Nigel Dunnet
Sunday 13 October, 3:00pm
Firth Hall, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western bank, S10 2TN
Naturalistic gardens are rich in plants and wildlife, requiring little attention. They are beautiful, uplifting places that change seasonally and evolve naturally. Nigel Dunnett is one of the world’s leading voices on naturalistic planting and an award-winning garden designer. He created the meadows for London’s Olympic Park in 2012. Nigel shares his expertise and inspiration in an illustrated conversation with BBC Gardener’s World presenter Arit Anderson.
Associate partner: The Moor
The Moor has become a major shopping district in Sheffield city centre having been redeveloped after £120m of investment to date with 13.3 million people visiting the area every year. www.moorsheffield.com
Why North is Up – Mick Ashworth
Tuesday 15 October, 7:00pm
Dorothy Fleming Lecture Theatre, Charles Street Building, Sheffield S1 2NH
A fascinating exploration of the world of maps and map-making – its history, evolution and latest innovations. Mapping expert Mick Ashworth reveals how accepted conventions of orientation, scale and colour developed from the very first representations of place to the hyper-detailed cartography we use today. Accessible and elegantly written with extensive illustrations Why North Is Up is a colourful and vibrant celebration of the signs, symbols and science of map-making.
Associate partner: True North Brew Co
True North Brew Co. is an independent group of bars and pubs who operate in Sheffield city centre and have provided the perfect night out for over twenty-five years. www.truenorthbrewco.uk
Do Something – Activism for Everyone – Kajal Odedra
Tuesday 15 October, 8:00pm
Theatre Deli, 202 Eyre Street, S1 4QZ
Kajal Odedra is UK Director at Change.org, the world’s largest online petition website with 200 million users worldwide. Having worked as a campaigner for years Kajal has learned the tricks of the trade traditionally held in circles of power. Her mission is to show people how to use their voice to make their community, politicians and CEOs take notice. She will talk about how people power works and give you the tools to help change our world.
Associate partner: The Sheffield Institute for Policy Studies, Sheffield Hallam University
The Sheffield Institute for Policy Studies is a virtual research institute based at Sheffield Hallam University which highlights the quality and breadth of the University’s policy related research. www.sheffieldinstituteforpolicystudies.com
Council Skies – Pete McKee
Tuesday 22 October, 7:30pm
Auditorium, University of Sheffield Students’ Union, Western Bank, S10 2TG
Local legend Pete McKee, discusses his latest book Council Skies, the most comprehensive overview of his work since he began painting in 2004. Growing up on a council estate has shaped the content of McKee’s work, which offers unique social commentary on working-class life, music, football and subcultures. In 2018 over 10,000 visitors attended his collaborative show, This Class Works. At this beautiful illustrated talk Pete will chat about working class culture, his influences, inspiration and work.
Sponsor: Sheffield City Region Hospitality
SCR Hospitality is the unified voice of the hospitality industry covering the Sheffield City Region. www.scrhospitality.co.uk
The Friends of Harry Perkins – Chris Mullen
Wednesday 23 October, 7:30pm
Cadman Room, Millennium Gallery, Arundel Gate, S1 2PP
Chris Mullin was a Labour MP from 1987-2010 and served as minister in three departments. His novel – A Very British Coup – was also an award-winning television series. Here at last is the long-awaited sequel, set in a future post-Brexit Britain, whose standing in the world has diminished and where far right influence has grown. Both a gripping political thriller and a chilling prognostication of where we may be headed, this is essential reading for our troubled times.
Associate partner: The Prokhorov Centre University of Sheffield
The Prokhorov Centre is the only research forum in the UK with an integrated focus on the intellectual and cultural histories of both Central and Eastern Europe. www.sheffield.ac.uk/prokhorov-centre