Bloomsday at the Rosenbach

Dates:
June 7-16, 2013

On June 16, the world celebrates Leopold Bloom’s fictional journey through the streets of Dublin, as imagined in James Joyce’s masterpiece Ulysses, during a special celebration termed “Bloomsday.”

For two decades, Philadelphia’s Rosenbach Museum and Library—home to Joyce’s original Ulysses manuscript—has hosted one of the world’s largest Bloomsday celebrations with a day of festivities along Delancy Place. Celebrate with notable Philadelphians and Joyce enthusiasts bring the novel to life with lectures, readings and reenactments.

Bloomsday is notable as it is the only international holiday that recognizes one specific work of art. From the brilliant short story “The Dead” to Leopold Bloom’s wanderings through the underworlds of the city streets, Joyce saw Dublin as a place populated by ghosts.

The Rosenbach Museum commemorates the occasion with a week-long celebration culminating with a reading of Ulysses (yes, all 1,000+ pages!) from the steps of the Rosenbach, led by notable Philadelphians.

The celebration is free and open to everyone. For a complete listing of Bloomsday events, visit the Rosenbach Museum and Library.