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‘Nora’ with Nuala O’Connor – 28 March
28th March 2022 @ 19:30 - 21:00 BST
£10.00
In this centenary year of the publication of Ulysses we are delighted to welcome Nuala O’Connor to the Society to discuss her novel Nora. When Nora Barnacle, a twenty-year-old from Galway working as a maid at Finn’s Hotel, meets young James Joyce on a summer’s day in Dublin, she is instantly attracted to him, natural and daring in his company. But she cannot yet imagine the extraordinary life they will share together. All Nora knows is that she likes her Jim enough to leave behind family and home, in search of more. Nora is a tour de force, an earthy and authentic love letter to Irish literature’s greatest muse. The novel conjures up a portrait of Nora Barnacle from her first meeting with James Joyce, through her years in Dublin and later across Europe. It thus follows the Joyces as Nora is increasingly torn between their intense and unwavering desire for each other, and the constant anxiety of living hand to mouth, often made worse by her husband’s compulsion for company and attention
A lively and loving paean to the indomitable Nora Barnacle.Edna O'BrienNuala O’Connor will be in conversation with David Collard whose own Joycean musings ‘Multiple Joyce‘ will be published in June and feature as part of our Bloomsday celebrations. Joining them will be soprano Angela Hicks and guitarist Tom Gamble with songs of the period.
An exceptional novel by one of the most brilliant contemporary Irish writers, this is a story of love in all its many seasons, from ardent sexuality to companionable tenderness, through strength, challenge and courage.Joseph O'ConnorThe ILS is partnering again with One Dublin One Book, the excellent Dublin City Council initiative, led by Dublin City Libraries, which encourages everyone to read a book connected with the capital city during the month of April every year. We are delighted to extend the reach of the project to London.
The event will be followed by a booksale and signing.
Speaker: Nuala O’Connor
Nuala O’Connor was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1970. A graduate of Trinity College Dublin, she is a novelist and short story writer and lives in County Galway with her husband and three children. Nuala has won many prizes for her short fiction including the Short Story Prize in the UK and Ireland’s Francis MacManus Award. She is editor at flash e-zine Splonk. Nora is her fifth novel, she is also the author of several short story and poetry collections.
Speaker: David Collard
David Collard is a London-based writer, reviewer, researcher, editor and occasional broadcaster, appearing regularly in the Times Literary Supplement, Literary Review and elsewhere, in print and online. His forthcoming book is Multiple Joyce: 100 short essays about James Joyce’s cultural legacy (Sagging Meniscus Press, June 2022) Read an excerpt on RTÉ.
Guitar: Tom Gamble
A keen advocate for collaboration, Tom has worked and performed with musicians as diverse as Duke Alexander, David Knopfler, Angela Hicks, The Boston Sinfonia and The London Philharmonic. Tom has released three solo albums, each to their own critical acclaim, and has been featured numerous times on BBC Radio 3. As a live performer, Tom is known not only for his genre-bending shows, but also for his friendly spoken introductions to the music.
Soprano: Angela Hicks
Lancastrian soprano ANGELA HICKS is a versatile singer, experienced in opera, oratorio, theatre, medieval, renaissance, chamber music and recitals with organ, piano and lute. Since embarking on her musical career, she has performed internationally, and has established herself as a specialist in the baroque repertoire.