Kirkland will host one of several worldwide festivals celebrating the book “Ulysses” by noted author James Joyce during June. Bloomsday refers to June 16, 1904 as lived by Leopold Bloom, the main character in the Joyce novel, a book that is said by many to be one of the greatest works of fiction.

Kirkland’s Parkplace Books is host to a variety of activities from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on June 13 in downtown Kirkland. University of Washington Professor Gary Handwerk, chair of the English Department, will offer a short lecture entitled “Beyond Ulysses: Where to Go Next with Joyce.”

There will also be Celtic music, Irish tea and a soda bread contest, readings from the book Ulysses, a presentation on Irish genealogy by Anne Lamb of the Eastside Scots-Irish Genealogy Group, readings of works by W.B. Yeats and other Irish poets, and a special screening of the 1967 film Ulysses.

The fourth annual Kirkland Bloomsday is organized by Ulysses fans and supported in part by local businesses Krueger Beck, PLLC, Parkplace Books, Wilde Rover, Zing HQ, Hoffman’s Bakery, Kirkland Downtown Association, and the Greater Kirkland Chamber of Commerce.

Parkplace Books is located at 348 Parkplace Center in the retail shopping center adjacent to Parkplace Cinema and the outdoor fountain.

For more information, visit the Kirkland Bloomsday Facebook page at www.facebook.com/KirklandBloomsday.