17. The Léon Furniture

This furniture came from the home of Paul Léon in Paris. Léon was a Russian Jew who left Russia after the revolution and settled in Paris where he became friendly with the Joyce family. From 1930 to 1940, Léon acted effectively as Joyce’s secretary, looking after Joyce’s legal and business correspondence in an effort to leave Joyce, and his eyesight, free to concentrate on his writing. As a result, Joyce spent a lot of time at the Léon apartment, sitting on these chairs and writing at this table. We also believe that the Russian-American writer Vladimir Nabokov worked at this table on his first novel in English with the assistance of Lucie Léon, Paul Léon’s wife.

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The James Joyce Center

The James Joyce Cultural Centre is situated in a stunning Georgian townhouse, offering visitors historical and biographical information about James Joyce and his influence in literature. We host walking tours, exhibitions, workshops and lectures for visitors with a casual interest and Joycean experts alike. See the door to the famous No 7 Eccles Street from “Ulysses”, a recreation of his living quarters in Paris, art exhibitions and more which bring the author and his works to life.