Re-Joyce: The Rosenbach Celebrates James Joyce With Its Annual Bloomsday Festival

For Release: Immediately

PHILADELPHIA, May 7, 2019—June 16 is observed around the world as a celebration of James Joyce and his epic Ulysses, a novel that has been called everything from masterfully moving to hilariously obscene. Nowhere in the United States is this global literary holiday marked with more excitement than in Philadelphia, where the manuscript for Ulysses has made its home at The Rosenbach since 1924.

This year, Bloomsday will be commemorated with the traditional day-long public reading of Ulysses in front of The Rosenbach on Delancey Place from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 16, which is also Father’s Day this year! Bloomsday is free and open to everyone. Joyce enthusiasts and novices alike can drop by any time during the day to listen to the reading, relax in the Bloomsday Beer Garden with local food trucks, and enjoy free admission to The Rosenbach. The Rosenbach’s rollicking reading will feature literati, artists, public figures, and familiar personalities along with musical performances that will bring the novel’s tavern songs and arias to life. Special guests this year include Daniel Mulhall, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States, who will read a passage from “Cyclops;” actors Michael Toner and Mal Whyte will perform their hilarious adaptation of “Ithaca;” and the talented performer Drucie McDaniel will close out the evening with her moving rendition of Molly Bloom’s soliloquy.

Grey Lodge Public House returns this year for the Bloomsday Beer Garden with selections on tap inspired by Ulysses’s famous pub scenes. Additionally, there will be several local food trucks – including Wok Works, The Icery, and Authentic Byrek – plus a pop-up shop and a silent auction. Bloomsday sponsors include Consulate General of Ireland; Lenni Steiner and Perry Lerner; Irish American Business Chamber & Network; Villanova Center for Irish Studies. Special thanks to the Free Library of Philadelphia, The Rosenbach’s formal partner.

The winners of the annual Ulysses Essay Contest, organized by University of Pennsylvania Department of English and Villanova Center for Irish Studies and funded by a generous grant from longtime Bloomsday supporters Lenore Steiner and Perry Lerner, will also be announced during the Bloomsday celebration.

In the event of rain Bloomsday will be moved to The Philadelphia School at 25th & South Streets. To learn more about Bloomsday and register visit rosenbach.org/bloomsday.

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About The Rosenbach

The Rosenbach creates unique experiences for broad audiences through programs inspired by its world-class holdings of literature and history. The Rosenbach is located in Center City Philadelphia and is open to the public six days per week, with growing content available at all times on Rosenbach.org. The Rosenbach is affiliated with the Free Library of Philadelphia.