by InTrieste
In celebration of Bloomsday 2025, the City of Trieste has launched a special initiative to breathe new life into its literary heritage: a symbolic book sale organized by the historic Attilio Hortis Civic Library.
Running from today through June 16, the “Hortis Book Market” invites locals and visitors to browse and purchase second-hand and surplus books at symbolic prices. The event takes place on the ground floor of Palazzo Biserini—home to the library and the newly installed Museum of Literature (LETS)—as well as at the Bloomsday Info Point in Piazza Hortis.
With most titles priced at just one euro, the sale features duplicate volumes from the library’s extensive collection, including fiction, regional history, and general non-fiction. These books were recovered during a clearing of the library’s storerooms ahead of an upcoming restoration of Palazzo Biserini and a broader reorganization of library facilities.
In addition to the used books, visitors will also be able to purchase discounted publications produced by the Hortis Library and Trieste’s literary museums.
Organizers see the initiative as more than just a clearance sale. “The Book Market is a chance to give books a second life,” a city representative noted. “Rather than allowing them to sit in storage or, worse, be discarded, we’re putting them back into circulation.”
But the project also has a deeper ambition: to bring people together. Held during the city’s Bloomsday festivities—which celebrate James Joyce’s literary legacy and his deep connection to Trieste—the market provides a space for dialogue between citizens, tourists, and the librarians who safeguard the city’s most storied cultural institution.
For a city where literature is a living, breathing part of the urban fabric, the Hortis Book Market offers a fitting tribute to the past—and a way to carry its stories forward.
