Conference paper
THE JOYCE / SVEVO MUSEUMS IN TRIESTE: AN EXAMPLE OF LITERARY SYMBIOSIS
Erik Schneider
; Muzej Jamesa Joycea, Trst, Italija
Riccardo Cepach
; Muzej Svevo, Trst, Italija
Abstract
The friendship between James Joyce and Italo Svevo is one of the most famous and important literary relationships of the 20th Century. From the time of their first meeting in 1907, when
Svevo began taking English lessons from Joyce, to the Triestine writer’s death in 1928, the two men engaged in an intense exchange of ideas, manuscripts and literary opinions, while also giving each other important artistic, Þ nancial (in Svevo’s case) and personal encouragement and support. Svevo would provide Joyce with many
of the elements that would enable the Irish writer to conceive and write his masterpiece Ulysses, while Joyce in turn gave Svevo the support and appreciation he needed to continue writing after
the failure of his first two books, and would be instrumental in establishing Svevo’s reputation in France and Italy in the 1920’s.
A century after their Þ rst meeting, this relationship continues to live in the two Museums which the City of Trieste has dedicated to these two ‘local’ writers. In fact, through their extensive printed,
manuscript and digital collections, and their combined and individual initiatives, the Joyce and Svevo Museums form a complementary unit which provides visitors with an ‘added value’ in terms of
understanding and appreciating these two great writers and enhances the experience of any visit to Trieste.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
76968
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2007.
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