What a great Bloomsday event in Monaco for the centenary of Ulysses!
Thanks to those who joined us and a special thanks to the Monaco-Ireland Arts Society for their wonderful performances (music & readings from Ulysses). We strolled around the Rock and enjoyed a special moment at the square in front of the Prince's Palace.
James Joyce would have been proud.
Bloomsday takes place every year in Dublin and around the world. It celebrates the day depicted in James Joyce’s novel ‘Ulysses’, 16th June 1904, which is the day he first met his wife Nora Barnacle in Ireland. This year we celebrate the centenary of the publication of Ulysses in 1922 and the PGIL has its first edition on display.
Bloomsday is named after Leopold Bloom, the central character and the novel chronicles Bloom’s adventures over the course of an ordinary day in Dublin. It was dubbed by America ex-pat Sylvia Beach, publisher of Ulysses in 1922 and owner of the English book shop in Paris 'Shakespeare & Company', which was frequented by James Joyce and other international writers.
This year we have two events.
Wednesday 15th June
(the day before the official Bloomsday)
- Dramatic readings from Ulysses and music by the Monaco-Ireland Arts Society performed from the balconies of the Princess Grace Irish Library (PGIL) and at various places on the Rock. The meeting point is in front of the PGIL at 13h45. The stroll around the Rock will be followed by refreshments at the library.
- At 4pm (16h00) - A reading for children - Joyce's book 'Le Chat et le diable' at the Bibliothèque Princesse Caroline - in collaboration with the Médiathèque de Monaco. Duration 30 minutes.
Details for our 'Ulysses walk about':
Accompanied by music on the bodhrán and the actors, you the audience will wander around 'The Rock' in Monaco-ville, as the character in James Joyce's Ulysses, Leopold Bloom strolled the streets of Dublin in 1904. Like last year, we hope that you will join into the spirit of the event wearing a hat or a period costume to add to the ambiance!
We will kick off the event in front of the Princess Grace Irish Library at 13h45 with the first Ulysses reading. We will then move on to other 'stops': the Place du Palais (in front of the palace), the square between the cathedral & the courts and finishing in the gardens St Martin.
**********************
A reading for children (in French) - Joyce's book 'Le Chat et le diable'
(a collaboration between la Médiathèque de Monaco and the Princess Grace Irish Library)
Un pont pour les habitants de Beaugency? mais que leur en coûterait-il ?
"Pas un sou, dit le diable, tout ce que je demande, c'est que la première personne qui passera le pont m'appartienne."
Where: at the Bibliothèque Princesse Caroline, Monaco
Date: 15th June 2022
Time: 4pm (16h00)
Duration: 30 minutes.
Age group: from 4 years old
Free entry
To reserve a place: Tel +377 93 15 22 72 (from June 8th)
Watch the TV coverage from the 2021 event below
copyright Gaelan Luci Palais Princier
"Among the literary treasures at the Princess Grace Irish Library is a first edition copy of Ulysses. Considered a masterpiece of modernism, this extraordinary book reflects Ireland’s reputation as a trailblazer in the world of literature. I believe that the legacy of groundbreaking works, such as Ulysses, facilitate a greater understanding of our past, present and future." - H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco
« Parmi tous les trésors littéraires qui se trouvent à la Princess Grace Irish Library, il y a une première édition de Ulysses. Considéré comme un chef d’œuvre du modernisme, ce livre extraordinaire reflète la réputation de l’Irlande en tant que pays novateur dans le monde de la littérature. Je suis persuadé que l’héritage laissé par des ouvrages aussi fondateurs que Ulysses facilite une plus grande compréhension de notre passé, de notre présent et de notre futur." - S.A.S. le Prince Albert II de Monaco
Ulysses 100
The e-book was launched on 02.02.2022 at the CCI in Paris to celebrate the centenary of Ulysses.
It includes contribution by the Princess Grace Irish Library and the Monaco-Ireland Arts Society (pages 65-70)
Click HERE with over 10 hours of enjoyment (readings, music, photos, videos etc).