Joyce’s Ulysses was published in full for the first time in 1922, but it had been introduced to the world four years earlier with the publication of the first episode, ‘Telemachus’, in the American journal The Little Review in March 1918. Ulysses continued to appear in The Little Review in serial form until December 1920, when the ‘Nausicaa’ episode aroused the attention of the censors and was subsequently banned for obscenity in the United States. This incident rocketed Joyce and his still incomplete work into the public eye and paved the way for its eventual world fame as it became the centre of debates over the distinction between obscenity and art.
This year, we’re celebrating the centenary of the serialisation of Ulysses by gathering some key figures from the contemporary Irish literary scene in Joyce’s alma mater, Belvedere College, to discuss the legacy and continuing importance of little magazines. The conversation will be led by Susan Tomaselli (gorse) and will feature contributors Declan Meade (The Stinging Fly), Tara McEvoy (The Tangerine) and Laura Cassidy (Banshee), who’ll be discussing everything from the fascinating history of serialisation and the literary periodical to the recent resurgence of the form in contemporary Ireland.
This event is supported by Dublin UNESCO City of Literature.