On Blooms Day 2026, we are so delighted to welcome Nuala O’Connor into EPIC to discuss one of the most famous short stories in the world – James Joyce’s The Dead. The award-winning author has recently written an introduction for a new hardback edition of the story, and at our Éire to Everywhere event, she will further dive into the intricacies of this incredible piece of work.
Copies of this new edition of The Dead with Nuala O’Connor’s introduction will be available to purchase on the night, with a book signing following the event.
Ticket holders should arrive about 10 minutes before 5:30pm at the Visitor Information desk within chq. There they will be escorted to the event’s location.
About the Book
The longest short story in James Joyce’s 1914 collection Dubliners, The Dead has had a cult following since its first appearance on shelves. It’s often considered one of the best short stories ever written in the English language, and even over a century later, it’s poignance holds true.
Dublin, 6 January: the Feast of the Epiphany, also known in Ireland as Women’s Christmas or Nollaig na mBan. Gretta and Gabriel Conroy attend the annual dinner party hosted by his aunts, the Morkan Sisters. As the house on Usher’s Island fills with laughter, music and dancing, the secrets of the guests interweave. The festive evening culminates in a shocking confession by Gretta and a life-changing epiphany for Gabriel.
About the Author
Nuala O’Connor is a Dublin-born author who now lives in Galway. She is a member of Aosdána, the affiliation of creative artists in Ireland, and holds a BA degree in the Irish language from Trinity, a MA in Translation Studies from DCU, and a Certificate in Women’s Studies from the University of Galway. She has a real interest in the Irish diaspora – her latest novel Seaborne follows the life of Anne Bonny, the Irish pirate, who features within the EPIC Museum. The novel was shortlisted for Novel of the Year at the 2024 Irish Book Awards, and was nominated in the 2025 Dublin Literary Awards. She has published a range of fiction, short fiction, and poetry throughout her career, and has shown special interest in Joyce and his wife Nora, even writing a novel entitled Nora in 2021, and curating a previous exhibition on Joyce at the Museum of Literature.
Endorsements of NORA
“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. Nuala O’Connor has brought to vivid life a woman about whom every literature lover has surely wondered and has done so with immense skill and daring.” Joseph O’Connor, author of Star of the Sea and Shadowplay
“A lively and loving paean to the indomitable Nora Barnacle.” Edna O’Brien, author of The Country Girls
Endorsements of Seaborne
“What an immense pleasure it was to read and what a gorgeous and perfect ending. I love how Nuala has given a full fictive life to this incredible woman, and the women she loved, showing us how ‘they cut their own paths. Knew their hearts.’ This book, like Anne’s life, is a fabulous voyage, a wonderful, buoyant tale, sublimely imagined and beautifully told.” Donal Ryan, author of Heart, Be At Peace
“SEABORNE is a rollicking triumph of passion, and a powerful portrayal of Irish pirate, Anne Bonny––a true original. Faultless in tone, this novel is a wonderfully rendered reimagining of a great historical figure, and confirms (what I already knew) that O’Connor is one of Ireland’s leading historical novelists. Filled with desire, ambition, bravery and soul, this novel is a wonderful achievement.” Elaine Feeney, author of Let Me Go Mad In My Own Way