Ulysses in 80 — Podcast Library
Scholar conversations, author interviews, and guided discussions from the annual global reading program.
Ulysses in 80 is an annual online reading program—open to all, worldwide—built around a simple idea: read James Joyce's Ulysses together over 80 days, at a steady pace of about 10–15 pages a day. The community stays active year-round in an open Facebook group, and the structured program—daily assignments and guided discussion—begins each year on June 1 and runs for 80 days.
It's designed to be the supportive, enthusiastic way to explore this masterpiece—whether you're trying to read Ulysses for the first time, hoping to finally get all the way through it, or returning to it again with a new understanding.
This page is the listening home for the scholar conversations, author discussions, and weekly long-form sessions that grow out of that shared reading experience.
I'm including this here because I'm not simply a participant in Ulysses in 80—I'm one of the people who helps drive it. I co-lead the program annually with my Trinity College Dublin partner, Dr. Clíona O'Farrelly, and I host and produce the weekly scholar conversations that become the podcast. I do it for the same reason I do Write Up The Coast: to bring people together through story and language. Ulysses is often considered one of the most difficult books in the history of literature—and that's exactly why reading it together matters. It turns private effort into shared discovery, and strangers into a temporary community.
Built around real reader questions
Many episodes are participant-driven—recorded during the active reading program and shaped by the questions real readers bring to the experience: Why read Ulysses? Which edition should I use? What helps when I get stuck? What am I missing?
Most sessions feature some of the world's leading Joyce scholars in conversation with participants, with live Q&A and active engagement. These are not studio lectures—they're drawn from weekly Zoom sessions in smaller groups, where the energy is personal, curious, and real.
Episodes
Ulysses in 80: 32 Voices, 12 Countries, One Soliloquy 08.28.25
Our final episode of the Ulysses in 80 Podcast (2025) weaves 32 soliloquies from readers in 12 countries. Each recorded in a place of their choosing, spontaneous and on the spot, their voices join int...
Ulysses in 80 Webinar Series Episode #10: From Trieste,Featuring Ilaria Susmel 08.13.2025
Podcast DescriptionIn our final Ulysses in 80 webinar guest series of 2025, we’re joined by Ilaria Susmel from Trieste, Italy. A local and enthusiastic Joyce reader, Ilaria’s warm and engaging deliver...
Ulysses In 80 Webinar #9. The Intersection of Dante and Joyce Featuring Dr. Daragh O'Connell 8.06.2025
Ulysses in 80 welcomes special guest Dr. Daragh O’Connell, Director of the Centre for Dante Studies in Ireland. This compelling conversation explores the deep links, intersections, and influences be...
Ulysses In 80 Webinar #8. A Fireside Chat With Robert Nicholson 07.29.25
In this episode of the Ulysses in 80 podcast, we sit down with the one and only Robert Nicholson—a true Joyce legend who spent four decades as the curator of the James Joyce Tower & Museum in Sand...
Ulysses In 80 Webinar #7 Featuring Patrick Hastings, Author of The Guide to James Joyce's, Ulysses.07.23.25
🌐 ulyssesguide.comIn this episode, we’re delighted to welcome Patrick Hastings, author of the acclaimed Guide to James Joyce’s Ulysses. Patrick has a gift for presenting Joyce’s monumental—and famous...
Ulysses In 80. BONUS EPISODE! “HALF-WAY!” 07.21.25
This special episode marks more than just the textual midpoint of Ulysses, where the novel turns toward Oxen of the Sun. It is a threshold moment in the novel. It is also a moment when the mirror turn...
Ulysses In 80. Webinar Series #6-Featuring Kelly Bryan-07.16.25 Episode
In this episode, we are In Discussion with Kelly Bryan of Blooms & Barnacles.In this lively and engaging episode, we sit down with Kelly Bryan, co-founder and co-host of the acclaimed Blooms &...
Ulysses In 80. Webinar Series #5-Featuring Joseph Valente-07.09.25
This week's episode: renowned scholar and author Joseph Valente joins us for a mind-opening dive into our Ulysses discussion. With wit, depth, and energy, he reveals the shimmer beneath Joyce&apo...
Ulysses In 80. Webinar Series #4-Featuring Professor Matthew Campbell.07.02.25
Get ready for another look into James Joyce's Ulysses! On this webinar episode of Ulysses In 80, we are thrilled to welcome Professor Matthew Campbell from York University. Join our hosts, Cliona...
Ulysses In 80. Webinar Series #3.-Featuring James Maynard.06.25.2025
In its third webinar, held on June 25th, Ulysses in 80 welcomed James Maynard from the University at Buffalo for a rich and engaging conversation. As curator of the world’s largest collection of James...
Ulysses In 80.BONUS EPISODE. A Evening with The Irish Newsboys. San Francisco
Join us for a special bonus episode of UlyssesIn80, recorded live on June 13th, 2025, at Chief Sullivan's Irish Bar in North Beach, San Francisco!Host Mark Sanford Gross invites you to a lively a...
UlyssesIn80-Podcast Episode #5 A Global Tapestry: Celebrating Bloomsday with "A Day in the Life of Our U80 Readers"
Join us for a truly extraordinary Bloomsday special as we transform a single day into a captivating global narrative. "A Day in the Life of Our U80 Readers" brings together 25 unique voices ...
Ulysses In 80, Webinar Series #2-Featuring Sam Slote. 06.11.25
Renowned James Joyce scholar and author of "Annotations to James Joyce's Ulysses (2022), Sam Slote joins Ulysses In 80 hosts Cliona O'Farrelly, and Mark Sanford Gross.A wonderful opport...
Ulysses In 80, Webinar Series #1-Featuring Patrick Hastings and Deirdre Mulrooney. 06.04.25
Ulysses In 80 brings its webinar series to the podcast platform. The 2025 webinar series, part of the Reading Ulysses in 80 Days project, is a weekly online event featuring an incredible array of gue...
Ulysses In 80: Episode #4- "Come Up, Kinch!" 05.31.2025
Reading Ulysses is often called a marathon—demanding, winding, and full of questions. Can I do this? Will I make it through? At the start of our 80-day journey, we offer encouragement—not just from fe...
Ulysses In 80: Episode #3 -How to Prepare for Reading Ulysses....Can We?
In this episode of Ulysses in 80, we talk about the big question: How do you read James Joyce’s Ulysses?Hundreds of books, essays, lectures, and guides exist to help decode Joyce’s masterpiece. But fo...
Ulysses In 80: Episode #2. The Reading Experience. 05.20.25
Ulysses in 80: The Podcast. Can you read Ulysses in 80 days? This podcast isn't the reading itself; the reading is happening offline, together!In this episode, hosts Cliona O'Farrelly and Ma...
Chat #1: 05.05.25- Editions?
Welcome to Ulysses80Okay, so you're staring down the Ulysses edition problem? We get it! Which book to even pick? And don't get us started on the "expert" opinions that all hilario...
About Ulysses in 80
Ulysses in 80 runs once a year as a seasonal reading community, beginning June 1. Participants follow daily reading selections (roughly 10–15 pages/day) and join ongoing discussion—along with weekly long-form sessions that often feature remarkable guests.
You don't need credentials or prior experience—only curiosity and a willingness to stay with it. Readers join from all over the world.
Note: This page is designed primarily as a podcast library. During the active season, I may post occasional project updates here, but daily assignments and discussion details live within the program itself.
Interested in joining the 2026 reading season?
Email readingulyssesin80@gmail.com and we'll keep you posted.