A lot of public events have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including several popular celebrations of Bloomsday (June 16). However, this year Joyceans can still enjoy the community that surrounds Bloomsday thanks to a variety of digital events. For your convenience, the James Joyce Quarterly is compiling a list of digital Bloomsday happenings you can enjoy at home. Here are a few options available to you:
- The James Joyce Centre in Dublin is holding its annual Bloomsday Festival digitally, with a variety of online events leading up to and on Bloomsday.
- The International James Joyce Foundation is planning a digital event. More information will be added when available.
- Bloomsday on Broadway is an annual Symphony Space tradition and this year marks its 39th edition. But since the event can’t be held in person because of the COVID-19 crisis, this year’s lineup of actors and authors will read Ulysses on the Symphony Space YouTube page, starting at 8 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4) on the 16th. Hosted by Stephen Colbert.
- The Rosenbach is putting together a Virtual Bloomsday Festival and Artwork Contest, an exhibit of art along with surprise content to be released on Bloomsday.
- SUNY Buffalo, home of the UB James Joyce Collection, is hosting a virtual Bloomsday celebration featuring Daniel Mulhall, Ireland’s Ambassador to the United States, and acclaimed Irish author Colm Tóibín, among other notable guests via the Zoom platform.
- The Trinity Long Room Hub at Trinity College Dublin is holding a “Ulysses, Pandemic, and Social Distancing” webinar from 5-6pm Western European Summer Time (GMT+1) on Bloomsday.
- The website Blooms & Barnacles is accepting submissions for a Bloomsday podcast featuring Joyce fans reading their favorite passages of Ulysses. Recordings are due by June 13.
- Dirce Waltrick Do Amarante, Clelia Mello, and Sergio Medeiros are organizing Bloomsday Floripa 2020, a multilingual Bloomsday event.
- Bloomsday in Melbourne is holding a film festival with 1 short film for each episode of Ulysses, each released during the time indicated by Joyce.
- The Mechanic’s Institute of San Francisco is sponsoring “Bloomsday Noon: A Performance Montage” on Zoom at 12pm Pacific Time (GMT-7).
- Bloomsday Toronto will be livestreaming their Bloomsday beginning at 1pm Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4) on Youtube.
- The James Joyce Tower & Museum is holding a live Zoom event at 11am-1pm Western European Summer Time (GMT+1).
- The Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Library Service is hosting 3 films (each running about 50 minutes) about Joyce on their Youtube channel until June 22.
- Bloomsday Macedonia is featuring Joyceans from around the world reading their favorite Ulysses passages in English or in their native language.
List compiled by Meleah Fain and Marie Sartain.