There was a flurry of activity at the Electro Studios Gallery in Seaside Road over the last couple of weekends of June which was featuring a wonderful exhibition curated by Lucy Brennan Shiel. This marked the 100th anniversary of the publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses, the first hand-printed edition of which was dated 2 February 1922, in Paris.

Lucy Brennan Shiel, image from West of Yes
CREDIT: Emma Brennan

The exhibition fittingly opened its doors on 16 June, the day that ‘Bloomsday’ is celebrated by Ulysses devotees worldwide, the date in 1904 on which the novel takes place, and also the date of Joyce’s first sexual encounter with the woman, Nora Barnacle, who would become his wife. The day is named after the novel’s protagonist, Leopold Bloom.

There was a big turnout at the event, with some in Edwardian dress. The evening was a captivating mix of films, songs, readings and performances, not to mention the varied and extraordinary works of over 30 artists – and we were invited to partake of Joyce’s favourite Swiss wine.

Molly Bloom’s soliloquy was a driving force in the upstairs part of the show, with work by Lucy’s art collective: Ruddy Cheek. Each artist responded to one of the eight long sentences that constitute the eighteenth and final episode of Ulysses. The repetition of the word ‘yes’ (and ‘Yes!’) has an erotic energy and this was compounded by the romantic and charged imagery within the whole remarkable body of work.

Bloomsday Celebrations in Hastings

There were several images of the word ‘yes’ throughout the exhibition. One of the most striking was a huge photographic print by artist Elizabeth Doak, entitled A Single Breath in 5 Yards of Ribbon, of a pink ribbon that loops, twists and knots its way across a black ground finishing with the word ‘yes’, that seemed to be portraying the energy of orgasm. 

Lucy’s own work featured dynamic photographic images of her naked self, shot by her cousin, Emma Brennan, in open bogland in Ireland, in which she appears to be performing a ritualistic dance in an effort to banish the destruction of the ecosystem, and consequently the feminine nature of it, by humankind. The images are animalistic and raw, and Lucy cites “anger at the desolation” as the force behind the work.

The downstairs part of the show was inspired by other parts of Ulysses, mainly the Proteus episode, and included exceptional work in the form of installations, paintings, a series of Haiku poems, ceramics and even a walk you could follow using Cliff Crawford’s QR code on your smart phone.

The exhibition ends (after I write this) with Lucy performing with Hastings band, Necessary Animals. In one partly improvised piece, Lucy recites some of Molly’s soliloquy – again a charged and vibrant work.

CREDIT: Peter Quinnell

James Joyce’s novel Ulysses, regarded in Britain in its day as morally outrageous, was first published a century ago this year. To mark this anniversary, over thirty Hastings artists are coming together in a group exhibition called ‘Yoolysees’, which will open at the Electro Studios in St Leonards-on-Sea on June 16. Among Joyce enthusiasts, June 16 is known and celebrated worldwide as ‘Bloomsday’, named after the main character in the novel, Leopold Bloom. 

The exhibition will be curated by Lucy Brennan Shiel, a Hastings based Irish artist who is passionate about James Joyce’s writing, and who has been undertaking work with reading and drawing groups in Hastings since 2017, based on Ulysses.  During covid her reading group connected online with groups all over the world. As Lucy says, “Ulysses is a difficult book to read alone, but is great fun when shared and read aloud with friends.”  

All the events in the novel are set on one single day in Dublin – 16 June 1904. Despite that, its themes are universal and its appeal continues to grow as more readers take on this challenging, beautiful and sensual book, renowned for its inventiveness and experimentation. And, of course, its brilliant subversion of conservative standards of the age. (The novel was banned for obscenity in Britain in 1922.)

Reflecting on the publication of Ulysses, revealed some interesting local discoveries. In a circuitous way, Lucy was introduced to Harriet Cole (nee Weaver) who lives in Rye, East Sussex. She is the great niece of Harriet Shaw Weaver, a major patron of James Joyce’s work. It is widely acknowledged in literary circles that without her financial support, Ulysses would not have been published. 

Harriet Shaw Weaver was born in Frodsham, Cheshire (1 September 1876-14 October 1961) and was educated privately. Denied her wish to go to university, she became a social worker. She later became involved in the campaign for votes for women and joined the militant Women’s Social and Political Union. Thereby being labelled a dangerous ‘suffragette.’ But fate took her on another course.  She suddenly inherited great wealth from her family, due to her brother’s death. And then later, she was introduced to James Joyce by Ezra Pound, the American poet. She became convinced of James Joyce’s genius and supported him financially throughout his lifetime, making the publication of Ulysses possible. 

It is thought that Harriet Weaver gave James Joyce the equivalent of £1.4 m (2019 figures) during his lifetime. She was indeed a remarkable ‘weaver of the wind of change,’ as Joyce mythologised her, because Ulysses changed the world of literature with its radically experimental text.

She also continued her allegiance to the memory of Joyce by acting as his literary executor and helping to compile The Letters of James Joyce. She died at her home near Saffron Walden in 1961 aged 85, leaving her collection of literary material to the British Library and to the National Book League.  

Harriet Shaw Weaver’s was the longest serving professional relationship in James Joyce’s life.  He wrote to her as “Dear Miss Weaver” and she always replied “Dear Mr. Joyce”.  

The Hastings band ‘Necessary Animals,’ working with Lucy Brennan Shiel, dedicated a track on their new album to Harriet Shaw Weaver. It is called Weaver of the Wind which is also a line from the first episode of Ulysses. ‘Necessary Animals’ new album ‘Playboy of the Western Word’ will release on Bloomsday. It is a treatment of improvised texts from Ulysses. The track, ‘Fox and Clock,’ was selected for Verity Sharpe’s Radio 3 programme, called ‘Late Junction,’ in 2020, during lockdown. 

‘Necessary Animals’ will also be involved in ‘Yoolysees’ at the Electro Studios; Keith Rodway their creative director will show a short film as part of the exhibition. The band will also do a closing set for the exhibition on Sunday 26 June. It should be quite an event. 

• For the full Exhibition programme, contact Lucy Brennan Shiel on lucybrennanshiel@icloud.com or mobile 07779 129924. Follow on instagram@ulysses100.uk 

On 16 June, 115 years ago, Leopold Bloom got up, had breakfast, started wandering the streets of Dublin, and finally encountered Stephen Dedalus. In his famous novel Ulysses, 682 pages later, James Joyce has told us all about their adventures. Bloomsday commemorates 16 June 1904 –
the day on which the events of James Joyce’s Ulysses take place in Dublin.

Celebrating Bloomsday in Hastings 2018

The Hastings Ulysses Reading Circle have been reading Ulysses since October 2017 on a fortnightly basis, and in March this year visited Dublin to join the Dublin reading group near Sandycove to follow scenes from the book. It is a marathon of beauty, delight, difficulty, rhythm, history, interior monologue and hilarity!  So much so that we have decided to celebrate Ulysses again this year at the Electric Palace in Hastings Old Town on Sunday 16 June. 

Bernard McGinley, long term Joycean scholar and author of Joyce’s Lives will present this year’s Bloomsday talk at the Electric Palace, followed by a series of short performances exploring the themes of humour, soundscape and love.  Among the line up will be local musician Ross Andrews-Clifford and Irish actor Elaine O’Dwyer.

Everyone is welcome to join us for our Old Town celebrations. You are invited to come in Edwardian costume as Ulysses is set in Edwardian Dublin, or dressed as you are. As a town that loves dressing up, what better place than Hastings to explore the look and feel of Ulysses?  

A commemorative photograph will be taken after the event at the Electric Palace at around 3pm on Sunday 16 June. 

• Tickets available online for £10.00 through eventbrite at bloomsday1066.eventbrite.co.uk

• For more information contact bloomsday1066@gmail.com or Facebook:  bloomsday 1066

Featured artists are Lucy Brennan Shiel, Julia Hilton and Marie-Louise Miller. There will be film of this year’s Bloomsday plus opportunities to buy drawings, photos, prints and books. A live piano background from Peter Ford will enable you to meet and mingle with other Joyce enthusiasts.

Bloomsday commemorates the life and works of Irish writer James Joyce, observed annually in Dublin and elsewhere on 16 June, the day his novel Ulysses takes place in 1904, the date of his first outing with his wife-to-be, Nora Barnacle, and named after its protagonist Leopold Bloom.
www.bloomsday1066@gmail.com

We hope you have enjoyed reading this article. The future of our volunteer led, non-profit publication would be far more secure with the aid of a small donation. It only takes a minute and we would be very grateful.

LUCY BRENNAN-SHIEL writes

Bloomsday1066 came to Hastings Library on Saturday 16 June, with readings from James Joyce’s modernist novel Ulysses (the events described within this ground breaking work of literary fiction having taken place in Dublin on that day in 1904).

Focussing on episode nine, where Joyce’s alter ego Stephen Dedalus debates Shakespeare’s Hamlet with three librarians, local dramatist Mike Punter read from the book. Emily Carding, playing Hamlet, and Yumimo Seki performed Hamlet’s confrontation with the ghost of his father.  Librarian Mr Henry Young took the place of Mr Richard Best in Episode 9 of Ulysses and hosted the morning to great applause in full 1904 attire.

Bloomsday 2018 at Hastings Library

Later in the afternoon café proprietor Barbaros Devecioglu hosted afternoon tea at the Grand Rue de Péra in Queens Road, whilst Peter Ford led the audience in a round of music hall songs from the time, many of which are referenced in the book. The events were conceived by Lucy Brennan-Shiel and Bloomsday 1066 is now the project name for Bloomsday events run by The Joyce Group, a new charity to celebrate the life and work of James Joyce in Hastings.

The next Ulysses reading group will take place in the autumn, when we shall focus on Episode 11. It’s at Café Grand Rue de Péra, 73/74 Queens Road, Hastings TN34 1RL on 12 September 7 – 8.30 pm.

Michael Punter playwright reading from Ulysses

The events were part-funded by the Isabel Blackman and Magdalen & Lasher charities, and the staff of Hastings Library are thanked for giving up their time and space, in what was a joyful launch for events in the newly refurbished library.  A commemorative photograph to mark the occasion was taken by Alex Brattell outside the library after the readings.

• Contact: Bloomsday1066@gmail.com or Lucy Brennan-Shiel 07779 129924

PICTURES: Alex Brattell

We hope you have enjoyed reading this article. The future of our volunteer led, non-profit publication would be far more secure with the aid of a small donation. It only takes a minute and we would be very grateful.

Bloomsday is a secret event that is gradually arriving in towns and cities all over the world. Last year it crept quietly up the beach at St. Leonard’s. This year it proclaims itself loudly in Hastings.  Bloomsday is a celebration of the events in James Joyce’s novel Ulysses, set on a single day in Dublin, 16th June 1904.  Ulysses is seen mainly through the eyes of Leopold Bloom, an Irish Jew, his wife Molly and Stephen Dedalus, who is a portrait of Joyce himself at the age of 22.

James Joyce

Last year for Bloomsday in Hastings a few of us gathered on the beach and later at St. Mary-in-the-Castle for readings and life drawing.  Last October, we started fortnightly readings in the café Grand Rue de Péra in Queen’s Road and have now reached the tenth episode. Our next reading is on the 6th June at 7.00pm, when we recap on the first ten episodes and prepare for Bloomsday.

Ulysses takes a very simple idea of a single day and builds an exquisite and extraordinary tapestry which weaves real life people and events, history, myth, classical references, topography, music, theology, psychology and politics into a range of experimental writing techniques from stream of consciousness, internal monologues and buried facts.  Written in 18 Episodes (not chapters) over a period of 7 years– every episode is written in a different style, about a different time of day and a different body part.  Joyce’s inspiration to write a hero’s journey for Leopold (Ulysses) Bloom is Homer’s Odysseus, in his epic heroic journey to return to Ithaca from Troy.

Bloomsday1066 are delighted to collaborate with Hastings Library this year with a focus on episode 9 of Ulysses, where Stephen Dedalus is speaking with the librarians of the National Library in Dublin about Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  Hastings dramatist Michael Punter (Three Kings, Skerryvore) will read from Ulysses, interspersed with Shakespeare’s Hamlet by Emily Carding.  Local librarian Henry Young will be part of the crew together with other familiar faces who are part of the extraordinary in the everyday of Hastings.  If you enjoy dressing up – Edwardian costume, appropriate to 1904, is warmly encouraged.

Episode 1 “A mirror and a razor lay crossed…”

PICTURE: LUCY BRENNAN SHIEL

The events in Hastings Library take place between 11.00am and 1.00pm on 16 June including a commemorative photo to include everyone present in the library at 12.30pm. 

Ulysses Reading Circle meets fortnightly at Café Grand Rue de Péra, Queen’s Road Hastings. The Joyce Group is a new Hastings charity celebrating the work of James Joyce through Bloomsday 1066 – an annual event on 16 June that celebrates Ulysses as a book.

• Contact: Bloomsday1066@gmail.com or Facebook

We hope you have enjoyed reading this article from Hastings Independent. The future of this volunteer led, non-profit publication would be far more secure with the aid of a small donation. It only takes a minute and we would be very grateful.