Last direct descendant of James Joyce passes away

The last direct descendant of James Joyce, Stephen Joyce, has died at the age of 87 in France, The Guardian reported.

Stephen was the son of Giorgio Joyce, the son of James and Nora Joyce. Born in Paris, Stephen Joyce worked for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on African development before taking over stewardship of the Joyce estate. 

He kept strict control of his grandfather’s legacy, in 2004 threatening the Irish government with a lawsuit to prevent public readings on Bloomsday, the annual celebration of Ulysses, launching innumerable tussles with scholars over books on Joyce, and refusing permission to quote from Joyce’s writings.