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

PHILADELPHIA, May 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- 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.

Bloomsday sponsors include Consulate General of Ireland; Lenni Steiner and Perry Lerner; Irish American Business Chamber & Network; Villanova Center for Irish Studies; Brandywine Realty Trust. Special thanks to the Free Library of Philadelphia, The Rosenbach's formal partner.

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.

About The Rosenbach

The Rosenbach is a rare book library and historic house museum which offers tours, exhibitions, public programs, and research opportunities. An affiliate of the Free Library of Philadelphia, The Rosenbach seeks to inspire curiosity, inquiry, and creativity by engaging broad audiences in its remarkable and expanding collections. The combined holdings of The Rosenbach and the Free Library of Philadelphia—which include hundreds of thousands of rare books, manuscripts, and ephemera—inspire unique exhibitions and programs throughout the year.

The Rosenbach
2008-2010 Delancey Place
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Contact: Rosa Doherty
215-732-1600 x123
[email protected]

SOURCE The Rosenbach