by InTrieste
On Tuesday morning, in the literary heart of this Adriatic city, organizers unveiled the program for Bloomsday 2025—Trieste’s annual celebration of James Joyce, whose years in the city profoundly shaped his writing. The sixteenth edition of the festival, scheduled from June 13 to 16, will center around the “Eumaeus” episode from Ulysses, the novel’s penultimate chapter.
The announcement was made at the LETS Museum in Piazza Hortis, home to the city’s Svevo and Joyce museums, in a press conference led by Trieste’s Councillor for Education and Family Policies, Maurizio De Blasio. He was joined by Riccardo Cepach, director of the museums and artistic director of the festival, as well as Maria Sheehy, Consul General of Ireland, and Laura Pelaschiar, Associate Professor of English Literature at the University of Trieste and scientific director of the event.
Set during the early hours of June 17, the “Eumaeus” episode follows a weary Stephen Dedalus and a sober but compassionate Leopold Bloom, returning from the chaos of Bella Cohen’s brothel to a modest cabman’s shelter. Here, among society’s castaways, the two men—spiritual father and son—seek refuge and understanding. It is a moment of literary calm, echoing Odysseus’s return to the swineherd Eumaeus’s hut before reclaiming his home in Ithaca. The chapter marks the beginning of Nostos—the Greek word for “return”—the closing arc of Ulysses.
“Each year, Bloomsday Trieste dives deep into a single episode,” said Cepach, “and this time we focus on this intimate, nocturnal chapter, where storytelling, identity, and human connection are at the center.”
Trieste holds a special place in the Joyce canon. The Irish writer lived here for more than a decade in the early 20th century, teaching English, writing, and forging relationships with fellow literary figures such as Italo Svevo. His time in Trieste left a lasting imprint not only on Ulysses but on his entire worldview.
The 2025 program, according to organizers, will blend public readings, performances, lectures, and guided walks through the city’s Joycean landmarks. As in previous years, the festival aims to make Joyce’s notoriously dense prose more accessible, drawing in both scholars and curious newcomers alike.
“Bloomsday is not only a tribute to Joyce’s genius,” said Professor Pelaschiar, “but also a celebration of the deep and ongoing cultural ties between Ireland and Trieste.”
This year’s edition also comes at a time of renewed interest in Joyce’s Italian years, with recent exhibitions and publications exploring his multifaceted relationship with the city that helped shape modern literature.
And as for the city itself? On June 16—the day of Bloom—Trieste will once again become a living stage for Ulysses, as Joyceans from around the world gather to walk, read, and drink in honor of the writer who once called it home.
This year’s program can be found here.
