Every 16th June since 1954 the Dubliners celebrate Bloomsday, a date with James Joyce and his novel Ulysses, which for many is the most important novel of the 20th century; a day that crosses borders and that one more year comes to Spain with activities in cities such as Barcelona, La Línea de La Concepción or Madrid.
In the capital, Tourism Ireland and the Soy de la Cuesta Association have organised a new edition of Bloomsday Madrid-Dublin, a route with readings and recreations of passages from the novel, music and nods to Edwardian period costumes, which this year includes stops at three very emblematic places: the Cuesta de Moyano, the Book Fair and El Rastro. The writer Juan Gabriel Vásquez will act as godfather of Bloomsday Madrid-Dublin 2024, and other cultural figures such as the comedian Joaquín Reyes, the writer Violeta Gil and the Irish singer and composer Lisa Hannigan will also take part. Fragments of Ulysses will be read, evoking the spirit of a festive day, hence the motto of this edition, very much in line with the main thread of the novel: Sleep, read, walk, eat.
Juan Gabriel Vásquez will be present both at the start of the activity, on Sunday 16 June at 10 am on the Cuesta de Moyano, and at the Book Fair, where he will read excerpts from Joyce’s Ulysses in front of the Madrid City Council stand (at 11.30 am).
The Bloomsday Madrid Dublin 2024 event also has the support of the Irish Embassy, the Asociación de Comerciantes Nuevo Rastro Madrid, the Desperate Literature bookshop, Librería Juanito, the Madrid Book Fair, Vestuario Carmen 17 and the publishers Galaxia Gutemberg, Lumen, Alianza, Páginas de Espuma, Anagrama, Firmamento and Ladera Norte.
This year’s edition will once again be curated by Giselle Etcheverry Walker, in charge of selecting the passages to be read along the route, and, as last year, Diego Garrido, the youngest translator of James Joyce in Spain, will also take part in Bloomsday.
Once again this year, the Bloomsday Society will pay tribute to this celebration of Joyce with events at the Ateneo de Madrid tomorrow and on 16 June. On the 16th at 7pm, a special event will take place in collaboration with the Desperate Literature bookshop, featuring several Irish authors, including John Banville and Eimear McBride, who will read excerpts from Ulysses. Author Lisa Hannigan will add a musical accompaniment. This event is supported by Culture Ireland.
In addition to Madrid, other Spanish cities will also be taking part in this cultural celebration. La Línea de La Concepción will once again celebrate its own Bloomsday to reclaim its links with the novel. This land is dedicated to a beautiful memory thanks to the Gibraltarian origin of Lunita Laredo, mother of Molly Bloom, wife of the protagonist of Ulysses. Likewise, Zaragoza, Barcelona and Malaga will join in this literary festival. All the information on these events can be found at this link.
