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The image shows three square black speech bubbles with the words "Off The Shelf Festival of Words" written inside inside in a white font. The image shows two square black speech bubbles with the words "Off The Shelf Festival of Words" written inside inside in a white font.

Off the Shelf: When We Ruled - The Rise and Fall of Twelve African Queens and Warriors, Paula Akpan in conversation with Yinka Olusoga

Sat 17 October 2026 , 3pm-4pm

Millennium Gallery

Discover the fascinating history of queens and warriors who ruled vast swathes of the African continent, from pre-colonial Nigeria to the villages of Rwanda, the hills of Madagascar to apartheid South Africa.

 

These women were leaders and champions, but beyond the lands they called home few of us have heard their names. Historian Paula Akpan brings to life a world of royalty, ancient civilisations, conquest and colonisation in a revelatory new history where women take centre stage.  
 
Paula Akpan is a journalist, writer and historian.  She regularly writes for a variety of publications including Vogue, The Independent and Time Out London. 

“An exciting and rich work for anyone who is curious about African history” – Paterson Joseph 

Dr Yinka Olusoga is a lecturer in education at the University of Sheffield and co-author of Black History for Every Day of the Year.  

 

This event is part of Off the Shelf: Festival of Words from the University of Sheffield. The full festival programme is available here: https://offtheshelf.org.uk/events/ 

 

The event is organised by the Off the Shelf Festival. Views expressed at this event do not reflect those of Sheffield Museums. 

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