June 16th is approaching.

Thanks to James Joyce’s icconic Ulysses, this has become an important day in Dublin, one which captures the essence of the city.

James Joyce set his famed novel during a single day – June 16th (the day of his first date with his wife) – and intertwines the lives of characters in the city of Dublin. Although it draws inspirations from Homer’s Odyssey, Ulysses is praised as being a significant part of the new modernist movement in 1922.

June 16th has since evolved into ‘Bloomsday’ in literary communities around the world, to celebrate Joyce’s great work. This year writers will read consecutively for over 28 hours.

The event will bring together 111 of today’s literary talents, who will each read for 15 minutes selections of their own works. Organisers will be aiming to break the world record for the most authors reading one after another, which currently stands at 75 authors who read at the Berlin International Literature Festival.

The event has been organised by the Irish Writers’ Centre, who promise a ‘broad range of texts and tastes’. John Boyne (writer of bestseller The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas) will start thing off, reading from his latest work ‘The Absolutist’; and Jack Harte will read ‘From Under Gogol’s Nose’. Inbetween will be many familar faces, including Seamus Healey, but it will also be an opportunity to discover new talents.

Bloomsday shows that James Joyce talent still burns and continues to inspire writers and readers to enjoy literature. You can follow the event at www.writerscentre.ie.