James Joyce (1882-1941) was an Irish writer, poet and literary critic, known for his experimental and innovative literary style. His writing was frequently marked by a stream of consciousness, encapsulated in Ulysses, arguably his most significant work. He developed an interest in language and literature at an early age and made a point of challenging himself at every opportunity. He, for instance, learned Norwegian for the purpose of being able to read Henrik Ibsen, whom he looked up to, in the original language. His own writing was marked by the same penchant for chartering new territory. He often wrote short passages of prose which he referred to as 'Epiphanies'. Joyce remains one of the most important writers of the 20th century. Some of his most eminent work includes the short story collection Dubliners and the novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. The conception and design behind our bookends stem from Swedish renowned industrial designer, Jan Landqvist and are made in the small town of Gnosjö in the south of Sweden.