Extra Reading on Sunday (independent from regular Thursday readings)

No extra reading session will be held on Easter Sunday, 5 April chez Fritz Senn at the Gesundheitszentrum Bachwiesen (Flurstr. 130, 8047 Zurich, room 002, ground floor). The next Sunday reading will be held on 12 April and pick up from: “ear to the Willingdone” (9.11). 

New readers are always welcome (no need to sign up). Should a Sunday reading need to be cancelled, this page will be updated as early as possible. Please check before making firm plans. If you have any questions please write to: friends@joycefoundation.ch

Finnegans Wake Reading Groups

On site: Thursdays, 7-8.30 pm, Zurich James Joyce Foundation, Augustinergasse 9, 8001 Zurich, hosted by Fritz Senn (at present, by Martin Mühlheim).

Online: Tuesdays, 7-8.30 pm, via Zoom, hosted by Dirk Vanderbeke. Information about the group's progress can be found at Tuesdayswake.

Updates about the Thursday group's progress will be given on this site (see posts below). A selection of the collages featuring on this bookmark can be found at Finnegans Wake Collages. 

New readers are always welcome! There is no need to sign up. Simply drop in and bring your own copy of the book, if you have one. 

The Friends of the Zurich James Joyce Foundation sponsor the reading groups so that they can be held free of charge. To contact them or to become a supporting member please email friends@joycefoundation.ch.

Thursday, 2 April 2026 (321.30)

The last reading was hosted by Antonia Fritz at her wonderful literary agency. The group stopped when it had run out of time at: “Zoot!” (321.30)

One favourite passage was:

“he who loves will see.” (321.19)

Thursday, 26 March 2026 (320.32)

The last reading stopped obediently at: “A pause.” (320.32)

One favourite passage was: 

“a noodle in a clouth!” (320.17)

Thursday, 19 March 2026 (319.30)

The last reading stopped at: “Hops! sagd he.” (319.30)

One favourite passage was:

“Time is for talerman tasting his tap.” (319.8)

Thursday, 12 March 2026 (318.31)

The last reading stopped at: “manyoumeant.” (318.31)

One favourite appearance was:

“Ethna Prettyplume” (318.12)

Thursday, 5 March 2026 (318.3)

The last reading stopped at: “her climbing colour.” (318.3) 

One favourite passage was:

“Cloth be laid!” (317.11)

Thursday, 26 February 2026 (317.3)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “tiempor” (317.3)

Thursday, 19 February 2026 (316.10)

The last reading stopped at: “a whistle for methanks.” (316.10)

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Pascal Ihle for picking a favourite

“The snarsty weg for Publin” (315.23)

Thursday, 12 February 2026 (315.13)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “diluv's own deluge” (315.13)

One favourite passage was:

“Knit wear?” (315.3)

Thursday, 5 February 2026 (314.18)

The last reading stopped at: “La la la lach!” (314.18)

Thursday, 29 January 2026 (313.25)

The last reading stopped at: “mine runbag of juwels” (313.25).

Thursday, 22 January 2026 (312.24)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “niece as a fiddle!” (312.24)

A couple of favourite passages were:

“and, holey bucket, dinned he raign!” (312.11)

“niece as a fiddle!” (312.24)

Thursday, 15 January 2026 (312.1)

The last reading stopped at: “lugger.” (312.1)

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Gion Cavelty for picking a favourite

“fur whale” (311.33)

Thursday, 8 January 2026 (311.4)

The last reading stopped at: “theygottheres.” (311.4)

One favourite passage was: 

“hummer, enville and cstorrap” (310.19)

Extra Reading on Sun, 21 Dec (independent from regular Thursday readings)

An extra reading session was held on Sunday, 21 December chez Fritz Senn at the Gesundheitszentrum Bachwiesen. The reading stopped at: “Anna Livia, oysterface, forth of her bassein came.” (207.20).

Thursday, 11 December 2025 (310.8)

The last reading stopped at: “the serostaatarean” (310.8). 

One favourite passage was: 

“vaticum cleaners” (309.21)

Thursday, 4 December 2025 (308.17)

The last reading reached the “youlldied greedings” end of the lessons chapter II.ii (308.17).

Extra Reading on Sun, 30 Nov (independent from regular Thursday readings)

An extra reading session was held on Sunday, 30 November chez Fritz Senn at the Gesundheitszentrum Bachwiesen. The reading stopped at: “a plash across her” (202.32).

Thursday, 27 November 2025 (307.9)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “Thrift,” (307.9)

One favourite passage was:

“R. C., disengaged, good character, would help, no salary. ” (306.F3)

Sunday, 23 November 2025 (201.20) (independent from regular Thursday readings)

An extra reading session with Fritz Senn was held on Sunday, 23 November at the Gesundheitszentrum Bachwiesen. The reading stopped at: “ambushure” (201.20).

Thursday, 20 November 2025 (305.31)

The last reading stopped at: “the lobe”. (305.31)

Extra Reading on Sun, 16 Nov (independent from regular Thursday readings)

We held an extra Sunday reading with Fritz Senn. Sunday readings are independent from the regular Thursday readings at the Zurich James Joyce Foundation. The passage chosen for Sunday was the beginning of the ALP chapter (I.8). We stopped at: “antiabecedarian?” (198.20)

Thursday, 13 November 2025 (304.27)

The last reading stopped at: “bilks the best.” (305.2)

One favourite passage was: 

“reborn of the cards” (304.27)

Sunday, 9 November 2025 (303.14)

An extra reading session was held on Sunday to be able to read with Fritz (who is currently convalescing). The group stopped at: “Prouf!” (303.14)

Thursday, 6 November 2025 (302.10)

The last reading stopped at: “Blott.” (302.10)

A couple of favourite passages were:

“Se non é vero son trovatore.” (301.16)

“When she tripped against the briery bush he profused her allover with curtsey flowers.” (301.F)

Thursday, 30 October 2025 (301.3)

The reading stopped at: “O He Must Suffer!” (301.3). Discussion may resume there or a line earlier.

With thanks to Frances Ilmberger and Rahel Huwyler for sending the update.

Thursday, 23 October 2025 (299.31)

The last reading stopped at: “Rome's advice?” (299.31)

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Patrick Granger for the update.

“there are trist sigheds to everysing” (299.1)

Thursday, 16 October 2025 (299.1)

The last reading stopped at: “shrinks from schurtiness to scherts” (298.33-299.1)

With thanks to Patrick Granger for the update.

Thursday, 9 October 2025 (297.17)

The last reading stopped at: “Tch! Sluice! Pla!” (297.17)

One disgustingly favourite passage was:

With thanks to Patrick Granger for sending the place.

“eelpie and paleale” (296.29)

Thursday, 2 October 2025 (296.10)

The last reading stopped at: “up your end.” (296.10)

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Patrick Granger for sending the place.

“A vagrant need is a flagrant weed.” (294.F2)

Thursday, 25 September 2025 (294.20)

The last reading stopped at: “precincts of lydias” (294.20)

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Pascal Ihle for sending the place and for picking a favourite.

“murphy come, murphy go, murphy plant, murphy grow” (293.9)

Thursday, 18 September 2025 (292.23)

The last reading stopped at: “soulard's schwearmood” (292.23)

With thanks to Pascal Ihle for the place.

Thursday, 11 September 2025 (cancelled)

The reading of Thursday, 11 September 2025 was cancelled due to (possibly somewhat noisy) celebrations at the Strauhof Museum in the same building. This year, the museum is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

Congratulations to the Strauhof Museum!

Thursday, 4 September 2025 (291.25)

The last reading stopped at: “(tuff, tuff, que tu es pitre!)” (291.25)

With thanks to Patrick Granger for sending the place.

Thursday, 28 August 2025 (290.17)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “in nowtime” (290.17)

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Patrick Granger for sending the place.

“ere beam slewed cable” (289.9)

Thursday, 21 August 2025 (288.28)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “Wickerworks” (288.28)

One favourite passage was:

“hexenshoes” (288.12)

Thursday, 14 August 2025 (287.19)

The last reading stopped at: “a balbose boy, he too” (287.19)

One favourite passage was:

“Will you walk into my wavetrap? said the spiter to the shy.” (287.F1)

Summer Break

Please note that the reading group is taking a break over the summer. The next reading will be held on Thursday, 14 August.

Thursday, 17 Junly 2025 (286.18)

The last reading stopped at: “and turn over.” (286.18)

On his way home, Ron Ewart had a hunch about the maths on p. 285 (from the Finnish numerals, followed by the English “outher words”, ending with “bullyclavers”, 285.17-26):

McHugh works out the Finnish maths for us (giving the total as 479,001,600) and also clarifies each individual English number (arriving at the same total). As I was thinking about this, I doubted that these would just be random numbers. So, I checked out the population figures for Dublin 1930 on my ever-helpful computer and found this: “In 1930, Dublin's population was approximately (eh?) 468,103”. This makes sense to me, with “bullyclavers” then being simply “Dubliners”.

Neither McHugh nor Fweet point this out. Good work, Ron! Thanks for sharing this.

On a far more accessible note, here's an illustration for one of the group's favourite passages:

“The balbearians” (285.L7)

Thursday, 10 July 2025 (285.8)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “house blong him,” (285.8)

One favourite phrase was:

“the zeroic couplet” (284.10)

Thursday, 3 July 2025 (284.4)

The last reading stopped at: “The family umbroglia." (284.4)

Thursday, 26 June 2025 (283.4)

The last reading stopped at: “quims.” (283.4)

One favourite passage was:

“il folsoletto nel falsoletto col fazzolotto dal fuzzolezzo” (281.18)

Thursday, 19 June 2025 (281.13)

The last reading stopped at: “aux jours des batailles.” (281.13)

One favourite passage was:

“Also Spuke Zerothruster.” (281.L6)

Thursday, 12 June 2025 (280.8)

The last reading stopped at: “twelvemonthsminding?” (280.8)

Thursday, 5 June 2025 (279 F1.11)

The last reading stopped at: “Then rue.”(279 F1.11)

A favourite passage was:

“Ah ah athclete, blest your bally bathfeet!” (279.7)

Thursday, 22 May 2025 (278.12)

Please note: There will be no reading on Thursday, 29 May (Ascension Day). The next reading will take place on 5 June 2025.

The last reading stopped at: “handmake of the load.” (278.12)

One favourite passage was:

“The stanidsglass effect” (277.F5)

Thursday, 15 May 2025 (277)

The last reading stopped at: “(Mogoul!)” (277.3)

Thursday, 8 May 2025 (276.3)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “backslapping gladhander” (276.3)

One favourite passage was:

With thanks to Pascal Ihle for suggesting this collage

“’phone number 17:69” (275.16)

Thursday, 24 April 2025 (275.2)

Please note: There will be no reading on 1 May 2025 (Labour Day). The next reading will take place on Thursday, 8 May.

The last reading stopped at: “hicohaired culoteer” (275.2)

One favourite passage was:

“As Shakefork might pitch it.” (274L4)

Thursday, 1 May 2025

Please note: There will be no reading on 1 May 2025 (labour day). The next reading will take place on Thursday, 8 May.

Thursday, 17 April 2025 (273.16)

The last reading stopped at: “pig in a pew” (273.16)

A couple of favourite passages were:

The association with a gravestone was Pascal Ihle’s. I’m taking the liberty of borrowing, if not downright stealing it here.

Shake eternity and lick creation (273.F1)

Hoppity Huneye (273.F3)

Thursday, 10 April 2024 (271.29)

Note: The reading on Thu, 17 April 2025 will go ahead as usual.

The last reading stopped at: “Gough gave” (271.29)

The phrase “so bright as Mutua of your mirror holds her candle to your caudle” (271.9) — and given the context of a woman's getting married — brought to mind the Halloween belief depicted below.

Image source: HipPostcard

Image source: The Week

Image source: Etsy

Image source: Reacing Nellie Bly

More such illustrations, if more were wanted, can be found here.

Thursday, 4 April 2025 (271.3)

The last reading stopped mid-sentence at: “Sire Jeallyous Seizer” (271.3)

27 March 2025 (270.1)

The last reading stopped at: postconditional future. (270.1)

One favourite passage was:

“Is love worse living?” (269.F1)

Thursday, 20 March 2025 (268.15)

The last reading stopped at: “booksyful stew” (268.15) 

A favourite passage was:

The law of the jungerl. (268.F3)

Thursday, 13 March 2025 (267.11)

The last reading stopped at: “spilleth peas” (267.11)

One favourite passage was:

“parapets all peripateting” (266.5)

Thursday, 6 March 2025 (266.2)

The last reading stopped at: “makes hobbyhodge happy in his hole.” (266.2)

One favourite passage was:

“a selfreizing flower” (265.7)

Thursday, 27 February, 2025 (264.25)

The last reading stopped at: “vale of Spring.” (264.25)

One favourite passage was:

“Startnaked and bonedstiff.” (264.F1)

Thursday, 20 February 2025 (263.27)

The last reading stopped at: “original sun.” (263.27)

One favourite passage was:

“excellent inkbottle authority” (263.23)

Thursday, 13 February 2025 (262.19)

The last reading stopped at: “Sow byg eat.” (262.19)

A favourite passage was:

“Apis amat aram. Luna legit librum. Pulla petit pascua.” (262F5)