Bloomsday 2012

Next Saturday the 16th of June is Bloomsday, which celebrates one day in the life of Dublin, which was set on June 16th 1904 in James Joyce’s Ulysses. This event has been happening annually in Ireland since 1954.  This year is special, as this is the first year that the book’s copyright expired in Ireland. This should make it easier to perform, interpret, quote and extract sections of the book.

A wide range of events is planned for this year’s Bloomsday including the launch of Joyceways, an iPhone app; a James Joyce bicycle tour; concerts of songs and music featured in Ulysses, The Dead and other works of Joyce; a daily performance of Molly Bloom’s soliloquy by Eilin O’Dea in Bewley’s Cafe Theatre.

Over a hundred Irish writers will read consecutively over 28 hours in an attempt to break the world record for the most authors reading one after the other at the Irish Writers’ Centre.

111 poets, novelists, playwrights and short story writers including John Boyne, Senator David Norris, Jack Harte, Kevin Barry, Gabriel Rosenstock, Dermot Bolger, Seamus Heaney, Marita Conlon McKenna, Gerald Dawe and Roddy Doyle will read.

What’s On Bloomsday 2012

These are the events being organised by the James Joyce Centre:

Sunday, 10 June, 10am-2pm
JAMES JOYCE BICYCLE TOUR
Phoenix Park,  Chapelizod, to the city alomg the Liffey  ending at 15 Ushers Island, the scent of ‘The Dead

Sunday, 10 June, 7–9pm
The JOYCE BOOK: A Tribute to Joyce by Composers of the 1930s
Royal Hibernian Academy, 15 Ely Place.

Monday, 11 – Friday, 15 June, 1.05 – 1.55 pm
JOYCE SONG: Irish songs from the works of James Joyce
Newman House, 86 Saint Stephen’s Green.

Monday, 11 – Thursday, 14 June, 8 pm
MOLLY BLOOM
Bewley’s Cafe Theatre, Grafton St.

Tuesday, 12 June at 7 pm
Ulysses’ CHORAL CONNECTIONS
The Freemason Lodge, Molesworth St.

Tuesday, 12 – Saturday, 16 June, 8 pm
NOEL O’GRADY PRESENTS ‘THE VOICE OF JOYCE; AN EXILE SINGS’
15 Ushers Island, Dublin 8.

Wednesday, 13 June, 10am-4pm
JAMES JOYCE BUS TOUR
Tour will begin and finish James Joyce Centre, 35 N. Great George’s St.

Wednesday, 13 June, 6.30pm
Finn Again: Translating Joyce into Finnish from 1946-2012
James Joyce Centre, 35 N. Great George’s St.

Thursday, 14 June, 3pm
Bloomsday Tea at The Westin with Gerry Dukes.
The Atrium at The Westin Dublin, Westmoreland St.

Thursday, 14 June, 6.30pm
JOYCEWAYS; THE JAMES JOYCE IPHONE APP LAUNCH
James Joyce Centre, 35 N. Great George’s St.

Thursday, 14 June, 8pm
Ulysses – Fate & Destiny
Irish Jewish Museum, 3 Walworth Road, Portobello, Dublin 8.

Friday, 15 – Monday, 18 June
ROB BERRY’S ULYSSES “SEEN” AT THE BAILEY
The Bailey Bar and Cafe, 1-4 Duke St.

Friday, 15 June, 8pm
IS NOW ALL SEENHEARD THEN FORGOTTEN?
Smock Alley, Banquet Hall, Essex St West, Temple Bar.

Saturday, 16 June, 9am & 11am
Bloomsday Breakfast at The Gresham
The Gresham Ballroom, O’Connell St.

Saturday, 16 June, 10am–6pm
Bloomsday at The James Joyce Centre

Saturday, 16 June, 1pm
JOYCE AND ART: A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
Darc Space, 26 North Great George’s St.

Saturday, 16 June, 3-6pm
Readings and Songs in The Green
The Bandstand, St Stephen’s Green.

Saturday, 16 June, 7pm-late
SWENY’S DOES BLOOMSNIGHT
The Mont Clare Hotel, 1-4 Merrion Street Lower.

WALKING TOURS
12 – 16 June starting at the James Joyce Centre

There will be many other events throughout Dublin city during the week.

For full details see www.jamesjoyce.ie