A Year with Joyce: Ulysses Book Club at DCU

Over the past year, Claire Devlin and Jennifer Whelan have been leading a James Joyce Ulysses Book Club on DCU St. Patrick’s Campus, guiding readers through one of the most challenging and celebrated works in modern literature. 

Meeting once a month, the group - which brought together DCU staff and members of the surrounding community - tackled the novel episode by episode, usually covering one or two episodes at each gathering.

From the outset, Claire and Jennifer set out to create a welcoming, non‑academic space where readers of all backgrounds could experience the richness of Joyce’s writing. Drawing on their own positive experiences with previous Ulysses book clubs, the organisers offered guidance on navigating the novel’s famously difficult passages, while also shining a light on the wit and humour that often surprises new readers. Participants shared their interpretations, compared notes, and helped one another make sense of Joyce’s styles, references, and memorable characters.

This week marked a bittersweet milestone as the group gathered for its final reading session in Belvedere Library. While there was a strong sense of accomplishment at having journeyed through all eighteen episodes, the closing meeting also brought warm reflections on the friendships formed and the community built around a shared love of literature.

The Ulysses Book Club is a DCU Arts and Culture initiative this initiative was led by DCU library and DCU Arts and Culture with funding support from Dublin City Council Community Arts Scheme.