16th of June, it's the Bloomsday!
Bloomsday will be the occasion for a celebration of Joyce, Yeats and Irish literature and music at the Irish Embassy in Berlin
June 15th, 2015
For fans of Irish literature June 16th is by now a classic appointment, an annual celebration in which James Joyce’s Ulysses breaks out of the classroom and hits the streets. Bloomsday is celebrated in at least sixty countries worldwide, even if nowhere so imaginatively, of course, as in Dublin. But what is it exactly Bloomsday?
It is a celebration of the life of the Irish writer James Joyce, during which the events of Leopold Bloom's day are reenacted and his itinerary is followed all across Dublin. Joyce's masterpiece, Ulysses, is in fact set on June 1904 and the author chose the date as it was the date of his first outing with his wife-to-be, Nora. The name, as conceivable, is derived from Leopold Bloom, the main protagonist of Ulysses. At lunchtime it is traditional to stop off for a glass of burgundy and a Gorgonzola sandwich at Davy Byrne's Pub on Duke Street, just as Bloom did. In the afternoon the Ormond Hotel is the spot for an afternoon pint, where Bloom was tempted by the barmaids in the Sirens chapter.
The Irish embassy in Berlin will celebrate this day with an entertaining even for all those who could not reach Dublin for the occasion. Dr. Sabine Müller, from the University of Leipzig will draw some connections between the works of James Joyce and Yeats and author John Holten will read from his work. Shaun Mulrooney will provide the music while Curious Fox Books and Nina Hynes will performance as well. This event will take place at the embassy between 12.30 - 15.00. Burgundy and gorgonzola sandwiches will be served as well!
References and Links
Cecilia Pinelli, Berlin Global
