Mapping Bloomsday

Follow the footsteps of James Joyce, using Ulysses as a guide. 

“If [Dublin] suddenly disappeared from the earth, it could be reconstructed from my book,” wrote James Joyce of Ulysses. In honor of Bloomsday, an international commemoration of Joyce’s novel on the day it takes place in 1904, experts examine the many ways in which the author’s masterful work was inspired by, and functions as, a map. 

A presentation by Curator and Geospatial Librarian, Ian Fowler, will examine the maps Joyce used to construct the movements of his characters through the narrative, as well as the maps he inspired, including Vladimir Nabokov’s hand-drawn maps of the novel, the originals of which are housed in the Library’s collections. 

Following the presentation,  Fowler, Robert Seidman, co-author of the definitive Ulysses Annotated, Declan Kiely, the Library’s Director of Special Collections and Exhibitions, and Irish acress Lisa Dwan will discuss the role that geography plays in Joyce’s narrative, and how his structure of Ulysses inspired fellow writers including Nabokov, Beckett, and more. The evening's program will be accompanied by readings from the novel. 

FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED
For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form one hour before the program.

PRESS 
Please send all press inquiries (photo, video, interviews, audio-recording, etc.) at least 24-hours before the day of the program to Sara Beth Joren at sarabethjoren@nypl.org. For all other inquiries, please contact publicprograms@nypl.org.

ASL interpretation and real-time (CART) captioning available upon request. Please submit your request at least two weeks in advance by emailing accessibility@nypl.org.