Skip to main content

Composition Timeline (1922–1939)

James Joyce devoted seventeen years to writing Finnegans Wake—from the completion of Ulysses in 1922 to publication on 4 May 1939. During this time, the work was known only as "Work in Progress."

Overview​

PeriodActivity
1922Ulysses published; Joyce exhausted
1923First sketches written
1924–1937Serialization as "Work in Progress"
1939Published as Finnegans Wake
1941Joyce dies in Zurich

1922: After Ulysses​

February 2, 1922​

Ulysses published by Shakespeare and Company in Paris on Joyce's 40th birthday.

The Year of Silence​

Joyce was so exhausted that he did not write a line of prose for over a year. He later described this period as recovery from the immense effort of completing Ulysses.

1923: The First Sketches​

March 10, 1923​

Joyce writes to his patron Harriet Shaw Weaver:

"Yesterday I wrote two pages—the first I have written since the final Yes of Ulysses."

These two pages deal with Roderick O'Conor, the last High King of Ireland. This is the earliest material that would become Finnegans Wake.

July–August 1923 (Bognor)​

While holidaying in Bognor, England, Joyce completes four more sketches:

SketchSubjectFinal Location
Tristan and IsoldeThe love legendII.4
Saint Patrick and the DruidIrish ChristianityIV
Kevin's OrisonsSaint KevinIV
MamalujoThe Four Old MenII.4

August 1923​

Joyce writes "Here Comes Everybody"—the first sketch dealing with the protagonist HCE.

1924: First Publication​

April 1924​

The "Mamalujo" sketch becomes the first fragment published, appearing in Transatlantic Review 1.4.

  • Editor: Ford Madox Ford
  • Title: "From Work in Progress"
  • Significance: First public appearance of Joyce's new work
  • Length: 8 pages

This was "a term applied to works by Ernest Hemingway and Tristan Tzara published in the same issue."

1925: Four Sketches Published​

MonthSketchPublication
July"The Letter"Criterion 3.12
September"A New Unnamed Work"Two Worlds 1.1
October"Anna Livia Plurabelle" (first draft)Le Navire d'Argent
Autumn–Winter"Shem the Penman" (first draft)This Quarter

The Sigla System​

Around 1925–1926, Joyce consolidates his sigla—the private symbols he uses for the main characters:

  • ⌂ = HCE
  • Δ = ALP
  • ⊏ = Shem
  • ⊐ = Shaun
  • ⋀ = Issy

1926: Major Progress​

Completion of Parts I and III​

By 1926, Joyce has largely completed drafts of Parts I and III—the largest sections of the book.

Continued Serialization​

Two Worlds publishes revised versions:

  • December 1925: "Here Comes Everybody"
  • March 1926: "Anna Livia Plurabelle"
  • June 1926: "Shem the Penman"
  • September 1926: "Mamalujo"

1927: transition Magazine​

Eugene Jolas​

Joyce befriends Eugene Jolas, editor of transition, an avant-garde literary magazine published in Paris.

April 1927​

transition begins serializing the work with "Opening Pages of a Work in Progress" (the book's first chapter).

The transition Years (1927–1938)​

transition becomes the primary venue for "Work in Progress," publishing fragments regularly over the next decade.

1928–1929: Anna Livia Plurabelle​

1928​

Joyce intensively revises the Anna Livia Plurabelle chapter (I.8), weaving in hundreds of river names from around the world.

August 1929​

Joyce records himself reading from "Anna Livia Plurabelle"—the only recording of Joyce reading from Finnegans Wake.

  • Location: Cambridge, England
  • Arranged by: Sylvia Beach
  • Duration: ~8 minutes

1930–1932: Separate Publications​

Several sections published as standalone booklets:

YearTitlePublisherSection
1929Tales Told of Shem and ShaunBlack Sun PressThree fables
1930Haveth Childers EverywhereFaber & FaberIII.3 (HCE's defense)
1930Anna Livia PlurabelleFaber & FaberI.8
1932Two Tales of Shem and ShaunFaber & FaberI.6, III.1

1933–1936: Personal Difficulties​

Joyce's Struggles​

  • Daughter Lucia's mental illness worsens
  • Joyce's own eyesight deteriorates
  • Financial difficulties despite patronage
  • Continued criticism of the work's obscurity

Work Continues​

Despite personal challenges, Joyce continues revising and expanding the text.

1937: The Final Push​

Completion of Part II​

Joyce completes the final major section—Part II (The Children).

The Title Revealed​

Throughout the composition, the work was known only as "Work in Progress." Joyce kept the final title secret even from close friends.

When asked about the title, Joyce would only say: "It will be called—but I can't tell you."

1938: Final Revisions​

January–December 1938​

Joyce makes final revisions to the complete text, integrating all sections and ensuring the circular structure works.

The Mamalujo Integration​

The "Mamalujo" sketch from 1923 is merged with the "Tristan and Isolde" material to create the final version of II.4.

1939: Publication​

February 1939​

Joyce completes final corrections.

May 4, 1939​

Finnegans Wake published simultaneously by:

  • Faber and Faber (London)
  • Viking Press (New York)

The title is revealed for the first time.

Publication Details​

  • First edition: 628 pages
  • Price: 25 shillings (UK)
  • Initial reception: Mixed (bewilderment and admiration)

1941: Joyce's Death​

January 13, 1941​

James Joyce dies in Zurich, Switzerland, following surgery for a perforated ulcer. He was 58 years old.

He is buried in Fluntern Cemetery, Zurich, where he remains today.

Manuscript Locations​

The manuscripts, notebooks, and drafts are held at:

LocationHoldings
University at BuffaloNotebooks (VI.A–C series), miscellaneous manuscripts
British LibraryMain drafts
National Library of IrelandAdditional materials
Cornell UniversitySupplementary materials

The James Joyce Archive (1978)​

In 1978, the complete facsimile edition of the manuscripts was published as The James Joyce Archive (63 volumes), edited by Michael Groden and others.

James Joyce Digital Archive​

Today, the manuscripts are accessible online at jjda.ie, where readers can watch the text "write itself" from notebooks through drafts to final form.

Key Scholarship on Composition​

TitleAuthorYearFocus
A First-Draft Version of Finnegans WakeDavid Hayman1963First drafts of every section
James Joyce's 'Work in Progress'Dirk Van Hulle2016Pre-book publications
Genetic Joyce StudiesVariousOngoingManuscript research

The Seventeen-Year Structure​

Joyce often noted the symmetry:

  • 17 years to write the book
  • 17 chapters in the book
  • His creative life bookended by two great works (Ulysses 1922, Wake 1939)

See Also​