Join acclaimed writers Claire-Louise Bennett and Ki Kwok for an afternoon of readings, reflection and conversation inspired by James Joyce’s Ulysses and the enduring legacy of Irish literature. Celebrating not only Joyce’s revolutionary work but also the generations of writers shaped by Ireland’s literary tradition, the event explores how Irish writing travels across languages, cultures, and personal histories. Featuring readings from Ulysses and their own works, Bennett and Kwok will explore the influence of Irish writers on their own creative journeys, alongside conversations on literature, identity and their connections to Ireland.
Presented by the Consulate General of Ireland, HKU School of English and HKU Guild.
Date: June 16, 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Venue: HKU Black Box, Room 54, LG/F, Centennial Campus, HKU (Location map)
Registration is required. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- For HKU members (HKU Portal login is required): https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?ueid=106848
- For non-HKU members: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=106848
Claire-Louise Bennett is the author of Pond (2015), Checkout 19 (2021) and Big Kiss, Bye-Bye (2025). Her work has been shortlisted for a number of prizes, including the Dylan Thomas Prize, the Goldsmiths Prize, and the James Tait Black Award. In 2018 the TLS named her among the twenty best British and Irish novelists working today.
Ki Kwok (郭梓祺) is a Hong Kong writer, educator, and columnist whose work bridges Chinese literature and Irish studies. He earned a BA in Chinese from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and an MPhil in Irish Writing from Trinity College Dublin, where he studied Samuel Beckett’s political aesthetics. His works include Time Difference (2024), the award-winning Piling Up the Wind trilogy, Untuned Songs (2020), and A Door (2022), and he recently co-founded Typhoonpress with Au Wah Yan.
Every year on 16 June, Ireland tips its hat, often literally, to one of our most iconic literary figures. Bloomsday celebrates James Joyce’s epic tale Ulysses, which follows Leopold Bloom’s day and night of wandering through Dublin. But it’s also become something more: a tribute to the written word.
