Next Thursday will be June 16, known by aficionados of James Joyce as Bloomsday. The events of Joyce’s renowned Ulysses unfold on June 16, 1904 (a date Joyce chose as a celebration of his first date with the woman he was later to marry, Nora Barnacle). Bloomsday is celebrated in Dublin and elsewhere annually: as Nola Tully writes, “From a breakfast of kidneys to a lunch of cheese and wine, to a funeral, to a brothel, Bloomsday entails much celebration for Joyce enthusiasts – as Ulysses maintains both intellectual and popular appeal” (yes I said yes I will Yes.: a Celebration of James Joyce, Ulysses and 100 Years of Bloomsday, p. 72).

Next Thursday the 16th, from 3 pm. – 5 p.m., the Rare Book and Manuscript Library will be hosting a celebration of Bloomsday, with readings, music and food to commemorate this famed day.

Check out our library’s Ulysses-related holdings, or visit the Rare Book and Manuscript Library’s page for the event!