In response to Black Lives Matter protests, sales of books by black British authors, such as Reni Eddo-Lodge and Bernadine Evaristo, have topped the UK bestseller lists. Several recent prestigious awards have also been won by black writers, including Candice Carty-Williams who won book of the year for Queenie at the British Book Awards. While these firsts must be celebrated, they also shine a light on publishing’s systemic practices, which have maintained inequalities and under-representation for black, Asian and minority ethnic writers and diverse books.

Students at Sheffield Hallam have captured Off the Shelf in a series of illustrations to document and celebrate the festival – one of the largest literary festivals in the UK.

Researchers from Sheffield Hallam University have worked alongside a poet and illustrator to launch a book which offers a new way of providing information to those who have been recently diagnosed.

Sheffield Hallam is helping disadvantaged children boost their confidence and enjoyment of reading this summer by distributing books at foodbanks across the region.

Sheffield Hallam is running a series of “How to…” events with multi-award-winning authors of fiction, plays and radio, to inspire the next generation of literary talent as part of the Off the Shelf Festival.