It’s time to don that boater hat and join Caitriona Balfe, Aidan Gillen, Glen Hansard, David Norris, and more for a celebration of James Joyce's Ulysses as part of the Bloomsday Festival’s flagship event “Readings and Songs."
Bloomsday, June 16, the day in which James Joyce's "Ulysses" unfolds, is a long-standing and treasured tradition. This year, the tradition will be kept alive online thanks to Bloomsday Readings and Songs, which will be streaming live from Dublin, the backdrop to Joyce's famous novel.
You can tune into Bloomsday Readings and Songs live here on IrishCentral or over on IrishCentral's Facebook on Bloomsday, June 16th, at 7pm IST / 2pm EST.
Every Dubliner has their own story about James Joyce, and no one more so than our best-known Joycean scholar, Senator David Norris, who has been at the heart of Joyce’s Dublin for almost 60 years. Senator Norris will introduce the show, featuring a cast of noted Irish writers, actors, musicians, pundits, and everyone in between, reading extracts from Ulysses. The readings will bring to life Joyce's immortal words, from his description of Dublin's "snot green sea”, to Molly Bloom's famous “yes”.
Ulysses is composed in 18 episodes mirroring Homer’s Odyssey and takes place in over 18 locations around Dublin. Experience your personal odyssey through James Joyce’s epic novel from the comfort of your home.
Read more: James Joyce quotes on love and life in honor of Bloomsday
Writers taking part this year's Bloomsday Readings and Songs event include Colum McCann, Booker Prize nominee Donal Ryan, Paul Lynch, winner of the Kerry Group Novel of Year, crime writer Tana French, Mary Costello, recently shortlisted for the Dalkey Literary Award, Christine Dwyer Hickey, author of Dublin’s most recent One City One Book, and Peter Murphy, novelist, and vocalist with Cursed Murphy & the Resistance. International best-selling author Douglas Kennedy will be reading with his actress daughter, Amelia Kennedy.
Going from stage to page will be chanteuse Camille O’Sullivan, Jess Kavanagh of BARQ, spoken word artist Sasha Terfous, and Glen Hansard. While joining the Bloomsday Festival from TV, film and the stage will be Aiden Gillen, Kate Stanley Brennan, Emmet Kirwan, performance artist Bonnie Boux, and writer and director Gerard Stembridge. Bafta winner and four-time Golden Globe nominee actress, Caitriona Balfe, will be reading from Molly Bloom's soliloquy.
This is a free event, but the Bloomsday Festival hopes that those who watch will consider donating to one of their chosen charities: World Child Cancer, Focus Ireland, and Age Action.
Bloomsday’s flagship event is kindly sponsored by Dublin City Council, Failte Ireland, Dublin Unesco City of Literature, and the Department of Arts Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht.
For more information, visit the Readings and Songs events page and tune in to IrishCentral's Facebook page on Bloomsday, June 16th, at 7pm IST / 2pm EST.
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