Gift of James Joyce portrait at conference in Tbilisi, Georgia

To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the publication of ‘Finnegans Wake’ the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) and the James Joyce Association of Georgia held an international James Joyce conference from 26-27 September 2019 in Tbilisi, Georgia. The theme is: Joyce and the World.

As a surprise, at the conference, local artist Maya Avlokhashvili gifted the university a spectacular portrait of James Joyce with his iconic eye patch.

Professor Manana Gelashvili, Director of the Institute of West European Languages and Literature at TSU, said that the painting will hang in the Research Centre at TSU.

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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