Programme

Galway Public Libraries presents an evening of readings, conversation and music highlighting Nora Barnacle, her life in Galway and her role in the Joyce odyssey with Nuala O Connor, author of NORA: A Love Story of Nora Barnacle and James Joyce and Ray Burke, author of Joyce County, his book about Joyce’s links to Galway (which is being re-issued in 2022 with illustrations by Joe Boske) in conversation with Emily Cullen. NORA is very much about Nora’s side of the Joyce odyssey; the Joyce County about Joyce and Galway and the collaboration and conversation between Nuala and Ray will, we hope, broaden the audience’s relationship with the Joyce family and their Galway connections.The Nora-themed music by Tomás Mannion, Carmel Dempsey and Emily Greaney, and anecdotal commentary from various guests will enhance the evening’s celebration of this west-east couple who eloped and had such a fascinating life in Europe.

The Central Library invites book club members to discuss Nora: A Love Story of Nora Barnacle and James Joyce, this year’s One Dublin One Book choice. Author Nuala O’Connor will join the meeting at the start to answer questions and to read from the book, before leaving readers to discuss the novel among themselves.

In sensuous, resonant prose, Nuala O’Connor has conjured the definitive portrait of this strong, passionate and loyal Irishwoman. Nora is a tour de force, an earthy and authentic love letter to Irish literature’s greatest muse.

Physical copies of the book can be borrowed in advance from the library or electronically (e-book and e-audiobooks) via Borrowbox app.

This Central Library Book Club event is open to members of other Dublin City Libraries’ book clubs subject to availability. 

Join us for the special book club devoted to this year’s One Dublin One Book choice, Nora by Nuala O’Connor. This fictional account of Nora Barnacle –partner and muse to James Joyce – shines a light on one of the most intriguing figures in Irish literary history. This event is ideal preparation for Nuala O’Connor’s visit to Ballymun Library on the 12^th April where she will discuss the themes of the novel. 

Booking for event on 12th April is at https://bit.ly/3q5fJRn 

Nuala O’Connor will read from and discuss her novel Nora: A Love Story of Nora Barnacle and James Joyce followed by musical performances by Sinead Murphy and Darina Joyce.

In person and live-streamed

In sensuous, resonant prose, Nuala O’Connor has conjured the definitive portrait of this strong, passionate and loyal Irishwoman. This year’s One Dublin One Book choice, Nora is a tour de force, an earthy and authentic love letter to Irish literature’s greatest muse.

Nuala O’Connor is a novelist, short story writer and poet who was born in Dublin and lives now in Co. Galway with her family. She has published five novels and six short story collections, including Becoming Belle, Miss Emily, You, and Joyride to Jupiter.

Sinead Murphy and Darina Gallagher present a musical exploration of Nora Barnacle and her life with James Joyce. Sailing from ‘Dublin Bay’ they embark on an unconventional journey through life and love, full of passion and music, children and ever- changing European cities. But no matter where they lived, there was always a piano.

Event will be streamed live on Dublin City of Literature You Tube channel 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-3Nfbv1l0c

In Conversation with Nuala O’Connor (In-person and Live Streamed)

The private writings of those who came before us have long held the interest of historians and scholars alike. They provide insights into the personal beliefs and inner lives of the writers and allow us to engross ourselves in the intimate details they share.

The vividly detailed series of letters exchanged between Joyce and Barnacle, an Irish emigrant couple often separated for long periods of time, conveys the sense of longing and urgency experienced by many others who find themselves in long distance relationships.

Join us as we explore Nora’s story and the important role emigrant letters play in shaping our understanding of our predecessors.

Nuala O’Connor lives in Co. Galway. Her fifth novel NORA (Harper Perennial/New Island, 2021), about Nora Barnacle, wife and muse to James Joyce, was recently published to critical acclaim in the USA, Ireland, the UK, and Germany, and is forthcoming in other languages. NORA was named as a Top 10 2021 historical novel by the New York Times. Nuala has curated the current exhibition at MoLI, ‘Loves, Says Bloom’, on the Joyce family, for #Ulysses100. Nuala is editor at flash fiction e-zine Splonk.

This event will be live streamed on Dublin City of Literature You Tube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_ZAAm3fy_g

 * The online event this evening has been postponed due to illness. A new date will be re-scheduled in due course.

The Little Museum of Dublin presents a conversation – with images – between photographer Deirdre Brennan and author Nuala O’Connor, about Deirdre’s photo documentary series, Following Ulysses, which uses Joyce’s novel to consider politics, race, and class in modern Dublin.

Online Event.

An Evening of Noras will present a powerful insight into the extraordinary life of Nora Barnacle through written word, poetry, performance and music.

We welcome back writers; Clíona Saidléar and Sinéad Nolan, along with writer and performer Paula Greevy-Lee, and music by Sinéad Murphy.

This free performance will take place in the beautiful Kenmare Room in the James Joyce Centre.

It will last approx. 1 hour and will be followed by a Q and A.  

An online discussion between Nuala O’Connor and Jessica Traynor about 2022 One Dublin One Book choice Nora: A Love Story of Nora Barnacle and James Joyce, as well as all things Joyce and writing.

Nuala O’Connor lives in Co. Galway, Ireland. Her novel NORA (Harper Perennial/New Island, 2021), about Nora Barnacle, wife and muse to James Joyce, was recently published to critical acclaim in the USA, Ireland, the UK, and Germany, and is forthcoming in other languages. NORA was named as a Top 10 2021 historical novel by the New York Times. Nuala is editor at flash fiction e-zine Splonk. 

Jessica Traynor is a poet, essayist and librettist.  Her debut poetry collection, Liffey Swim (Dedalus Press, 2014), was shortlisted for the Strong/Shine Award and in 2016 was named one of the best poetry debuts of the past five years on Bustle.com. The Quick, was a 2019 Irish Times poetry choice. Awards include the Ireland Chair of Poetry Bursary and Hennessy New Writer of the Year. Paper Boat, a new opera commission, will premiere in 2022. Residencies in 2021-22 include the Yeats Society Sligo, The Seamus Heaney Home Place and the DLR LexIcon. She is a Creative Fellow of UCD. Pit Lullabies was published by Bloodaxe in 2022 and is a Poetry Book Society Recommendation.

Galway Public Libraries will premiere the recording of last week’s event from St. Nicholas Church, Galway featuring authors Nuala O’Connor and Ray Burke in conversation with Emily Cullen. Along with music from Elizabeth Keane, Tomás Mannion, Carmel Dempsey and Emily Greaney. Watch on Galway Libraries Facebook page.

Irish Embassy Warsaw Book Club Event

(18.00 Central European Time)

The Embassy of Ireland in Warsaw has the pleasure to host an online meeting with Nuala O’Connor, author of “Nora”, the chosen book for this year’s One Dublin One Book initiative, organised by Dublin City Libraries.

This event, open to everyone, aims to bring together readers from around Poland who have joined the One Dublin One Book project in 2022, either individually or as part of a book club.

This will be an opportunity to meet virtually with Nuala O’Connor herself, who will answer questions and give readers many further insights into her latest work. We hope this will be a perfect opportunity to learn more about Nora Barnacle and the family of James Joyce, as we celebrate 100 years of Ulysses and look forward to Bloomsday in June!

The event will take place online, via Zoom. The meeting link will be sent to all registered participants in advance.

Nuala O’Connor will read from her novel Nora: A Love Story of Nora and James Joyce (New Island Books) and will talk about the inspiration for the book as well as her experience writing it.

In sensuous, resonant prose, Nuala O’Connor has conjured the definitive portrait of this strong, passionate and loyal Irishwoman. This year’s One Dublin One Book choice, Nora is a tour de force, an earthy and authentic love letter to Irish literature’s greatest muse.

Nuala O’Connor is a novelist, short story writer and poet who was born in Dublin and lives now in Co. Galway with her family. She has published five novels and six short story collections, including Becoming Belle, Miss Emily, You, and Joyride to Jupiter.

Copies of the book are available to borrow from Dublin City Libraries and are available in physical, e-book and e-audiobook formats.

‘They were yung and easily freudened’: James Joyce plays around with words in his writing world. Come to this reading and writing session with Leo Cullen and enjoy, through Joyce, your own writing world! Be not young and easily frightened!

All level of writers welcome. 

Spaces limited.

Unfortunately due to illness, this event has been postponed. We hope to re-schedule the event.

Join podcaster, Joycean and counter-culturalist Conner Habib for an in-depth exploration of author and guest curator Nuala O’Connor‘s —Love, says Bloom exhibition at MoLI, launched in February to celebrate the Ulysses centenary. The exhibition looks at the deep love between Irish writer James Joyce, his wife Nora Barnacle, and their children Giorgio and Lucia, using music as a steadfast element in their lives. Nuala will discuss the Joyce’s mutual devotion, alongside some of the music that bound them, while their world was in flux.

In this informal conversation, Kevin Power will interview Nuala O’Connor about her experiences researching and writing her historical novels – not just Nora, this year’s One Dublin One Book choice, but her previous historical novels Becoming Belle and Miss Emily. An event of particular interest to writers and anyone interested in the process of turning history into fiction. 

Online via Zoom, sponsored by Trinity Long Room Hub Arts & Humanities Research Institute

Nuala O’Connor is a novelist, short story writer and poet who was born in Dublin and lives now in Co. Galway with her family. Nuala is the author of five  novels, including NORA,  Becoming Belle, Miss Emily, a reimagining of the life of Emily Dickinson, The Closet of Savage Mementoes, You, and six short story collections, her most recent being Joyride to Jupiter. She has won many prizes for her short fiction including the Francis MacManus Award, the James Joyce Quarterly Fiction Contest and the UK’s Short Fiction Journal Prize. 

Kevin Power is Assistant Professor of Literary Practice, Oscar Wilde Centre, in Trinity College Dublin’s School of English and is the author of Bad Day at Blackrock and White City. His collection of essays The Written World: Essays will be published by Lilliput Press in May. 

At this special event for bookclubs in the Dublin 12 area, Nuala O’Connor will read from her novel Nora: A Love Story of Nora and James Joyce (New Island Books) and will talk about the inspiration for the book as well as her experience writing it.

In sensuous, resonant prose, Nuala O’Connor has conjured the definitive portrait of this strong, passionate and loyal Irishwoman. This year’s One Dublin One Book choice, Nora is a tour de force, an earthy and authentic love letter to Irish literature’s greatest muse.

Nuala O’Connor is a novelist, short story writer and poet who was born in Dublin and lives now in Co. Galway with her family. She has published five novels and six short story collections, including Becoming Belle, Miss Emily, You, and Joyride to Jupiter.

Copies of the book are available to borrow from Dublin City Libraries and are available in physical, e-book and e-audiobook formats.

Places are limited, so early booking is advisable.