A DAY in a life, a map of Dublin city, a meditation on relationships, the parallel journey of an epic poem — these are just a tiny number of the elements that make up “Ulysses,” considered to be one of the most important and influential novels ever written.

The book by James Joyce follows the character of Leopold Bloom as he moves through an ordinary day in Dublin on June 16, 1904. The title “Ulysses” references “The Odyssey” and the book draws on a number of styles and groundbreaking literary techniques. The seminal modernist text was first published in its entirety by Sylvia Beach, the proprietor of the bookshop Shakespeare and Company in Paris on Feb. 2, 1922, the author’s 40th birthday.

Although initially treated with suspicion by countries including the author’s native Ireland, the book is now read and studied worldwide and it, and indeed Joyce himself have become an intrinsic part of Ireland’s cultural tourism industry. Scholars and readers from all over the world travel to Dublin to stroll in the footsteps of Bloom.

Although this month marks the centenary of its publication, celebrations will take place throughout the rest of the year. A summary of the key events can be found at ulysses100.ie, a digital platform from the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI), supported by the Department of Arts and Culture and the Department of Foreign Affairs, the National Library and the University College Dublin.

MoLI will host the launch of a new film installation, “Love,” says Bloom, curated by Nuala O’Connor whose book on Joyce’s wife, Nora Barnacle, has been chosen as Dublin’s One City One Book title for 2022.

Another musical tribute comes in the form of six specially commissioned pieces from the Contemporary Music Center (CMC) in Ireland. Entitled “Ulysses Journey 2022,” the works of music and film are presented by the CMC in association with the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris and simultaneous world premieres took place Feb. 2 in Dublin.

Other activities taking place in Paris on Feb. 2 included the launch of an ebook at the current site of the legendary Shakespeare and Company bookstore.

In Dublin, on Feb. 2, Joyceans gathered at locations mentioned in the book, including Davy Byrne’s pub off Grafton Street to mark the occasion.

For those who can’t travel to Paris — or even to Dublin city — Ireland’s national television and radio broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ) planned a wide range of programming on television, radio and online to mark the centenary. These includes a new television documentary devised by the late historian Frank Callanan.

But what about those people who haven’t yet read the book — or may feel intimidated about doing so? The answer, according to Darina Gallagher of the James Joyce Center in Dublin could lie in simply letting the words wash over you. A number of audio versions of “Ulysses” are now available which give the listener full access to its rhythms and tones.

For a totally immersive experience, listeners can turn to the 1982 recording of the book now available on the RTÉ website. The 30 hours of recordings could travel with you throughout the day on a stroll down Sandymount strand. (SD-Agencies)