Ulysses For Everyone: A Friendly Introduction

Presented by Bloomsday in Melbourne's Dr Steve Carey Ph.D. and Associate Professor Frances Devlin-Glass (Ph.D., ANU)

When: 10am-4.30pm Sunday 24th August 2025

Where: 3ZZZ Community Radio, 309 Albert St, Brunswick

Ulysses was published in Paris on James Joyce's 40th birthday, 2nd February 1922. When presented with the first reviews, Joyce asked, rather sadly, ‘Did no-one think it was funny?’ We do. We think Ulysses is the funniest, the wisest and the most human book, and on this day together we want to hand you the keys to unlock it, share with you the best bits and invite your own responses to the text.

But always remember the Bloomsday in Melbourne promise: you are NEVER put under pressure to speak up! If you'd rather sit quietly and absorb what we're offering, that's absolutely fine.

This interactive course, a mix of presentation and discussion of text, assumes no prior knowledge of Ulysses, although having read the extracts we recommend (or as many as you can manage - do what you can), anything you do know will certainly help to make your day a richer reading experience. Spending the day with us will help get you over the obstacles to reading, to put Joyce in a rich literary and historical context, and make clearer his innovations as a writer and thinker.

We’re firmly of the view that Ulysses is potentially for every kind of reader and that most readers need only minor assistance over the obstacles it represents. And also that it is a treasury for life, to be enjoyed almost as a different text as one is exposed to life’s exigencies. We’d love to welcome you to an ever-expanding community of readers of Ulysses. It may have turned 100 years old, but it still very much our contemporary and still unfolding for those who love it.

But above, all: relax. We'll have time to answer your questions, and we'll be inviting your input, but if you'd prefer to sit quietly and just soak it all up, that'll be fine. We’ll build in breaks so you can escape the screen, grab a coffee or a bite, or maybe link up with other course participants over a cuppa. At the end, please BYO for a social wind-down and a chat.

Here’s what we’ll be covering on the day:-

Why is Ulysses supposedly a 'classic'? What does that mean, anyway?
Why is a book set in Dublin 1904 called Ulysses?
Is the book truly obscene? How did it get banned even before it was published?
What is Joyce's 'Stream of Consciousness' technique and why is it so important?
Bits of the book seem really, really difficult to understand. Is Joyce just being wilfully obscure, or is there some point to all this?
And much, much more...

This event is a fundraiser for Bloomsday in Melbourne, enabling us to pay our Director, actors and staff for our Bloomsday theatrical productions. Every cent is going straight to them!

To contact the organiser, please call Steve Carey on 0423 793887.