Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway at 100: A Marathon Reading

“Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself.”

So begins Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, “one of the most moving, revolutionary artworks of the 20th century” (Michael Cunningham). Join an all-star gathering of some of the most exciting voices in contemporary fiction as they read the entirety of Virginia Woolf’s groundbreaking novel, followed by a screening of The Hours — Stephen Daldry’s Academy Award-winning film, based on Michael Cunningham’s novel, that changed the way we view Woolf’s life.

Following a middle-aged London woman preparing for a party over the course of a single mid-June day in the aftermath of WWI, Mrs. Dalloway’s deceptively simple premise belies its ferocious power. With piercing emotional precision, Woolf uncovers the molten core of a woman’s domestic life and grapples with the societal trauma of war like no one before her. Woolf’s characters — profoundly shaken by a rapidly advancing world in turmoil — are as relevant today as when she created them.

The spellbinding beauty of Woolf’s prose demands to be heard aloud. In a special event coinciding with the date on which the novel takes place — and the hundredth anniversary of its publication — hear a group of writers pay tribute to Woolf’s masterpiece with a marathon reading of Mrs. Dalloway in its entirety. Experience this classic novel anew — a galvanizing performance of one of the 20th century’s definitive literary works in a chorus of vital contemporary voices.

The reading will begin at noon and end at approximately 8 PM, at which point the screening of The Hours will begin. Ticketholders are welcome to come and go throughout the day; admission to both the reading and screening are included in your ticket.

Readers include Jiayang Fan, Sarah Ruhl, Alexandra Jacobs, Katie Roiphe, Jenny Offill, Francine Prose, Kate Bolick, Melissa Broder, Heidi Julavits, Jordan Kisner, Rachel Rose, Leanne Shapton, Hillary Kelly, Susan Choi, Lauren Christensen, Bess Kalb, Rachel Syme, Megan Garber, Sam Lipsyte, Alissa Bennett, Adelle Waldman, Andrew Lipstein, and more — plus a special recorded message from Michael Cunningham.

See the schedule below to plan your day! In true Dalloway style, we will be serving tea and specialty cocktails throughout the day, along with other surprises. Note that times are approximate, and may change.

12-1 pm:
Francine Prose
Sam Lipsyte

1-2 pm:
Rachel Rose
Andrew Lipstein
Alissa Bennett

2-3 pm
Sarah Ruhl
Katie Roiphe
Megan Garber
Lauren Christensen

3-4 pm
Kate Bolick
Alexandra Jacobs
Benjamin Anastas

4-5 pm
Rachel Syme
Jordan Kisner
Adelle Waldman
Heidi Julavits

5-6 pm
Hillary Kelly
Leanne Shapton

6-7 pm
Susan Choi
Melissa Broder
Bess Kalb

7-8 pm
Jiayang Fan
Jenny Offill

“My mind was warped into a new shape by Virginia Woolf’s prose and it will never be the same again.” — Greta Gerwig

“I keep thinking about the shocking velocity of Woolf’s sentences, how they rocket off into the sky, trailing sparks of emotion behind them.” — Jenny Offill

“Hers is indisputably among the most sensitive of the minds and imaginations felicitously experimenting with the English novel.” — Jorge Luis Borges