SIBFest – Sheffield’s Indie Book Festival – celebrated the independent arts and culture scene across Sheffield last weekend. 

The two-day event was organised by four Sheffield bookshops, La Biblioteka, Hillsborough Bookshop, Juno Books, and Novel. Events took place in the bookshops, and in two of Kelham Island’s venues, The Mowbray and The Victoria.

Dave Hall, Manager of Hillsborough Bookshop and Event Organiser, said: “As bookshops, we feel like we’re at the forefront of independent retail, obviously we’re competing against Amazon, but we focus on that personal touch.

“We had no idea how it would go. We’re just pleased so many people have turned up.”

On Saturday 25th April, each individual bookshop put on their own events, such as a Grown-Ups Storytime at Juno Books and on Sunday 26th, author talks, workshops, and signings were held in the Kelham Island venues. 

The event featured author talks from 11 fiction and non-fiction authors such as Juno Dawson (Survival Show, Her Majesty’s Royal Coven) and Kavitha Rao (Synopsis of Lady Doctors: The Untold Stories of India’s First Women in Medicine). Sheffield-based children’s author, Bethan Woollvin also hosted a children’s drawing workshop.

On Sunday 26th April, The Mowbray hosted a book and makers market as part of the festival. 

It featured a display of novels from Juno Books, a feminist and queer bookshop, as well as a host of other independent organisations.

Bloom Sheffield – a non-profit community flower garden for women and non-binary people – had a stall at the market, selling flowers that the group had grown together.

Kendall Turner, Company Director of Bloom Sheffield, said: “I feel like people who like books, often like flowers and plants and gardening stuff so it’s just really nice to be a part of something where so many people are involved.

 “We’ve worked with lots of bookshops before and it felt like there was a very big community focus here.”