A bunch of the top bookshops in Sheffield are banding together this weekend for a huge book festival.
The Sheffield Independent Book Festival (or SIBFest) will be a weekend designed for book lovers, with author talks, signings, workshops, reading rooms and more.
There'll even be a bookshop crawl encouraging people to visit Sheffield's many brilliant bookshops.
Different bookshops will be hosting their own fringe events on the first day of the festival, before loads of local businesses come together at Kelham Island for a full day of book-themed events.
SIBFest has been created by booksellers, for book lovers, with an aim to 'celebrate stories, and the shops and publishers who keep them alive'.
It's been created by the people behind local businesses like Novel (which is temporarily closed because of an issue where staff have been being harassed by a member of the public); and La Biblioteka at Leah's Yard.
Hillsborough Bookshop, a neighbourhood children's bookshop, and Juno Books, a queer independent bookshop, have also organised the event.
It will all be taking place at bookshops across the city, plus at The Victoria and The Mowbray at Kelham Island.
There'll be events at La Biblioteka at Leah's Yard for SIBFestNovel is also taking part in the Sheffield Independent Book Festival
Here, you'll find a marketplace for local bookshops and indie makers inside The Mowbray, while The Victoria will host all sorts of talks, workshops and signings.
There'll also be a Graphic Novel Reading Room, where you can relax with a good graphic novel upstairs at the Lodge at The Victoria.
And you can grab delicious food, cocktails and coffee throughout the day in both venues.
SIBFest (Sheffield Independent Book Festival) lineup
Confirmed speakers include:
Bethan Woollvin (These Are My Rocks, Robin Hood, Little Red, I Can Catch a Monster)
Steve Webb (Peng and Spanners, Spangles McNasty, Cow's Go Boo, Tanka Tanka Skunk)
Luke Barley (Ancient)
Hazel Sheffield (Frontierland)
Manya Wilkinson (Lublin, & Other Stories)
Michelle Tea (Valencia, Black Wave, Against Memoir, Little F with Cipher Press)
Kavitha Rao (Lady Doctors, Jacaranda Press)
Witches and Folklore author panel with Anna Caig (The Wise Witch of Orkney)
Molly Aitken (The Island Child and Bright, I Burn)
Sally O’Reilly (Hagtale)
SIBFest will be taking place on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April across Sheffield - see the full line-up and book tickets HERE.
After months of dry weather, heavy rain has fallen on Sheffield raising concerns.
If you're out and about today, we hope you've got a rain coat and umbrella with you.
Because after what seems like months of nonstop hot and dry weather, the flood gates have well and truly opened on Sheffield.
So much so that experts at the Environment Agency have issued flood alerts for nine areas in and around Sheffield.
The flood alert includes Blackburn Brook, the Lower River Rother, the Porter Brook Catchment the River Doe Lea catchment, the River Holme Catchment, the River Sheaf Catchment, the Upper River Don catchment, the Upper River Rother catchment and the Whiston Brook catchment.
Image: Environment Agency
The alert states: "Rising river levels today may lead to flooding. Flooding is possible on August 27 2026 due to the heavy and thundery downpours expected today.
“Locations most affected will be low lying land and roads near rivers. We are closely monitoring the situation as river levels may rise suddenly and cause surface water flooding.
“Take care and avoid walking, cycling or driving through flood water.”
Maps gave been issued by the agency that show the areas covered by the alert, including land near the Don and parts of Kelham Island, Hillsborough College, Hillsborough Stadium close to Penistone Road and land near Holme Lane and Rivelin Valley Road.
The alert comes as The Met Office states: “A broad band of thunderstorms and heavy rain will move north across England and Wales on Thursday, perhaps becoming slow moving in the afternoon and evening. Accumulations of 20-30 mm in an hour is possible locally, while 30 to 40 mm can be expected fairly widely and up to 50 mm in a 12 hour period in places."
Acclaimed fine-dining restaurant Six and A Half to launch new concept in Sheffield food hall
Daisy Jackson
One of Sheffield's top restaurants, Six and A Half, has revealed plans for a new concept - and they're moving into a food hall.
Chef Leslie Buddington will be bringing his acclaimed open-fire cooking concept into the kitchens at Cambridge Street Collective.
But things will be slightly different to his Dyson Place restaurant - instead, Leslie will launch The Other Half, which will have a more 'relaxed and accessible' approach to his cooking.
At The Other Half, he'll be serving a menu that focuses on seasonal produce, bold flavours, and sharing dishes, with a huge focus once again on wood-fired cooking.
Leslie has teased that one stand-out dish customers can look forward to with his new concept will be nduja stuffed chicken wings.
The Other Half is the latest chef-driven operation to move into Cambridge Street Collective, the food hall that opened back in 2024 with a whopping 20 independent kitchens inside.
Previous dishes at Six and A HalfInside Six and A Half in SheffieldPrevious dishes at Six and A Half
Operated by Blend Family, the food hall has a dedicated 'Food Partners' concept which acts as an incubator for chefs and restaurants to develop and scale their concepts .
Leslie, founder of The Other Half, said: "Joining Cambridge Street Collective feels like the right step for The Other Half.
"It’s a strong platform for independent kitchens, and I’m excited to bring our concept into this space."
Over at Six and A Half, he'll continue to provide his fantastic, flavourful open-fire small plates - if you can get a seat at the chef's pass, you're in for one of Sheffield's hottest dining experiences.
The Other Half will open at Cambridge Street Collective on 9 September.
Daisy Jackson -
21st April 2026 
