Programme
A weekend of author talks, workshops, panels and signings across two stunning Kelham Island venues.
Sunday 26th April 2026 · The Victoria and The Mowbray, Neepsend
Plan Your Day
10:00 – 11:00 · Victoria Lodge
Children's Drawing Workshop
Bethan Woollvin · These Are My Rocks, Robin Hood, Little Red, I Can Catch a Monster
Sheffield's own Bethan Woollvin — beloved for her brilliantly dark and funny reinventions of classic tales — hosts a drawing workshop for young readers. Perfect for budding illustrators aged 5 and up.
Book tickets →10:30 – 11:30 · Victoria Chapel
Witches and Folklore
Anna Caig · Molly Aitken · Sally O'Reilly
Three writers explore myth, magic and the enduring power of the witch in contemporary fiction. With Anna Caig (The Wise Witch of Orkney), Molly Aitken (The Island Child and Bright, I Burn) and Sally O'Reilly (Hagtale).
Book tickets →11:30 – 12:30 · Victoria Lodge
Children's Graphic Novel Workshop
Steve Webb · Peng and Spanners
Peak District-based author and illustrator Steve Webb brings his beloved graphic novel series to life in a hands-on workshop for young readers. Come and meet Peng the sarcastic penguin and Spanners the cat with a toolbelt — and make your own comic strip characters.
Book tickets →11:30 – 12:30 · Victoria Chapel
Into the Ancient Woods
Luke Barley · Ancient: Reviving the Woods That Made Britain
Forester and writer Luke Barley draws on over twenty years of working in ancient woodland — from the Lakes to the Peak District — to explore Britain's most precious and overlooked habitats. A conversation about trees, people, and why these irreplaceable places need us as much as we need them.
Book tickets →12:30 – 13:30 · Victoria Chapel
Britain's Forgotten Frontierlands
Hazel Sheffield · Frontierlands: Britain's Survival in the Making
Journalist and author Hazel Sheffield takes us to Britain's forgotten places — silt-filled harbours, overgrown forests, abandoned buildings — and the remarkable communities rebuilding them. An inspiring conversation about regeneration, resilience and what it really means to reclaim a place.
Book tickets →14:00 – 15:00 · Victoria Chapel
International Women's Panel
Musih Tedji Xaviere · Kavitha Rao · Njambi McGrath
Three internationally acclaimed writers published by Jacaranda Press in conversation about writing across borders, identity, and the stories that need to be told. With Musih Tedji Xaviere (These Letters End in Tears), Kavitha Rao (Lady Doctors) and Njambi McGrath (Rinsing Mukami's Soul).
Book tickets →15:00 – 16:00 · Victoria Chapel
A New Yorker in the North
Manya Wilkinson · Lublin (& Other Stories)
A Jewish New Yorker who has made her home in the North of England for over twenty years, Manya Wilkinson discusses her new novel Lublin with Tara Tobler of & Other Stories. A conversation about place, displacement, memory and the fiction that holds them together.
Book tickets →16:00 – 17:00 · Victoria Chapel
Unfiltered: Life, Writing and Queer Culture
Michelle Tea · Little F (Cipher Press)
One of America's most vital and fearless writers joins us all the way from across the pond for a conversation spanning her remarkable body of work — from the raw confessional memoir of Valencia to her joyful, boundary-pushing new book Little F, published by Cipher Press.
Book tickets →16:30 – 17:30 · Victoria Chapel
Very Special Closing Event — To Be Announced
We're saving the best until last. Watch this space — we'll be revealing our headline event very soon.
Also at SIBFest — all day, free entry
Book Market · The Mowbray · 10am – 5pm
Local bookshops and independent makers under one roof.
Graphic Novel Reading Room · Victoria Lodge · 12:45 – 4:00
Drop in and read in good company. A wide selection of graphic novels provided.
Speakers Corner · Victoria Yard
Informal talks and conversations throughout the day.
Food and drink — Delicious food, cocktails and coffee available throughout the day at both venues.