Dr Selena Wisnom

News - Newly Deciphered Cuneiform Tablet Contains Unknown Sumerian Myth - Archaeology Magazine CHICAGO, ILLINOIS—A riveting lost Sumerian myth was recently rediscovered thanks to University of Chicago Sumerologist […]

A new Sumerian myth discovered: archaeology.org/news/2025/07...

BBC Radio 6 Music - Cerys Matthews, Yoshika Colwell live from Maida Vale and Selena Wisnom Cerys welcomes singer-songwriter Yoshika Colwell to perform live from Maida Vale.

Had a great time at BBC 6 Radio Music @cerysmatthews.bsky.social thank you for having me!

You can listen to our conversation here:
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

BBC Radio 6 Music - Cerys Matthews Eclectic music from blues to beats with poetry and live sessions.

Excerpts from my new book, Library of Ancient Wisdom, will be read during @cerysmatthews.bsky.social upcoming Sunday show at BBC Radio 6! Join in from 10:00 am if you can: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...

Selena Wisnom Dr Selena Wisnom is the Lecturer in the Heritage of the Middle East at the Univeristy of Leicester. Her research centres on the heritage of ancient Iraq, specifically the languages, literature, and in...

I'm pleased to announce the launch of my new website! If you'd like to see what events I have lined up for the next few months or easily access my past projects and media appearances, please visit: www.selenawisnom.com

BBC Radio 6 Music - Cerys Matthews, Yoshika Colwell live from Maida Vale and Selena Wisnom Cerys welcomes singer-songwriter Yoshika Colwell to perform live from Maida Vale.

Excited to be joining Cerys Matthews at BBC 6 Radio this Sunday, 27th July, at noon. I'll talk about the Library of Ancient Wisdom and the songs that remind me of great times at the British Museum's tablet room! Join in if you can!

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

The last photo shows the intricate process of defrosting authentic sheep livers.

At the Idler festival last week, I did a live liver divination - needless to say, I had a great time! Thank you,
@idlerat.bsky.social for inviting me, and thank you to the fantastic audience for your insightful questions.

Super impressed with the illustrations for the @chalkefestival.bsky.social talks! Thank you for having me and for the great conversation!

Tickets - Chalke History Festival

Heading off to the amazing @chalkefestival.bsky.social! Talks, living history, debate, performance – all set in the beautiful Wiltshire countryside. This Thursday, I will be discussing all things Mesopotamia with Becky Wragg Sykes - so excited!
www.chalkefestival.com/tickets/

Idler Festival | Idler The Idler Festival is a weekend of philosophy and merriment, comedy, talks, music, workshops and salons in the bucolic surroundings of Fenton House and

I’ll be performing at this year’s Idler Festival which is at the beautiful Fenton House, Hampstead 11-13 July. You’ll be able to see me join Stewart Lee, Emma Thompson, Michael Palin, and more. Tickets can be found here: idler.co.uk/festival - Don’t miss out!

#IdlerFestival2025 #idlerfestival

Yes!

I like to think that Ashurbanipal would approve of being rested on a guitar amplifier :)

Just been to this brilliant exhibition for the third time - Satta Hashem’s ‘A World of Colour and Emotion’ at Leicester Museum and Art gallery. And got a tour from the artist himself! It closes at the end of June - do go if you can!

A Drink with The Idler | Selena Wisnom on Mesopotamia | Idler Join "A Drink with the Idler" as we chat to Selena Wisnom about Mesopotamia

Also, I will be joining 'A Drink will Idler ' this Thursday, 5th June at 6 pm, to talk about my new book and the relevance of Mesopotamia in modern times.
Tickets for this online event are available here:
www.idler.co.uk/product/a-dr...

Book of the Week: Library of Ancient Wisdom | Idler The forgotten history of Sumer

Thank you, Idler, for featuring Library of Ancient Wisdom as your Book of the Week!
www.idler.co.uk/article/book...

Behold his nightmarish nether regions: this ancient Mesopotamian demon was secretly a divine hero Feared, phallic and very protective: Pazuzu was one of many ancient Mesopotamian supernatural beings that blurred the line between god and monster. Historian Dr Selena Wisnom explains what such deitie...

Introducing Mesopotamia's most famous demon!
www.historyextra.com/period/ancie...

Great interview with @daisydunn.bsky.social about writing about women in antiquity

Took a break from the book tour to speak about liver divination at Melammu Symposium 25 in Sofia! My talk was on what I have learned from my practical experiments forecasting elections. What a beautiful university!

I can confirm that is the zaniest cuneiform I have ever seen

2,600-Year-Old Stone Relief Unearthed in Ancient Nineveh | Sci.News The ancient stone relief depicts Ashurbanipal, the ruler of the Neo-Assyrian Empire from 699 to 631 BCE, two deities and other figures, according to a team of archeologists from Heidelberg University.

Great news from Nineveh! Heidelberg University's team unearthed a stone relief depicting Ashurbanipal and major Assyrian deities.
www.sci.news/archaeology/...

A Drink with The Idler | Selena Wisnom on Mesopotamia | Idler Join "A Drink with the Idler" as we chat to Selena Wisnom about Mesopotamia

I am so excited to join Tom Hodgkinson at the @idler on June 5th to talk about all things Mesopotamia!
www.idler.co.uk/product/a-dr...

The book is now out! I need to edit my pinned post :)

Had a great time with History Extra podcast talking about witchcraft and wizardry in the library of Ashurbanipal, now out here!
www.historyextra.com/podcast/

Title: How to focus on writing your book There follow eleven tiny images telling a story. The captions read: Turn your devices off (a writer with a phone and laptop. The screens are dark). Put them in a drawer. Lock the drawer. Throw away the key. Leave the house. Do not look back. Keep to backroads and hedgerows. Feel your old life slip away. (the writer has shed his clothes) Sleep by day. Forage in the evening. Write by the light of the moon When you have a passable first draft, commit a minor crime and use your phone call to contact your agent. (the naked writer is in a prison holding a phone while an unamused police officer looks on).

My cartoon for this week’s @theguardian.com Books

Had a great time visiting the Library of Ashurbanipal Chicago branch! An important collection relating to ancient and modern Assyrians. Thanks to Assyrian Cultural Foundation for having me!

Thank you to the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures at UChicago and everyone who attended my talk! Copies of my book were sold out, but I managed to sneak some out and present them to Sargon and Sennacherib - reviews TBC!

Had so much fun @histfest.bsky.social! Thank you, @moudhy.bsky.social and Shaparak Khorsandi, for a great discussion about Mesopotamia, and thank you to the audience for fantastic questions!

Assyriologist Selena Wisnom - Mesopotamia and the Making of History | How To Academy Located in modern-day Iraq, Mesopotamia was the first human civilisation and the birthplace of writing. Selena Wisnom is one of the few people alive today who can read the cuneiform tablets that tell ...

Thank you for having me on the How to Academy Podcast Vassili Christodoulou!
You can listen to the episode here:
howtoacademy.com/podcasts/ass...

So excited to speak at the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures about my new book, Library of Ancient Wisdom. If you are in Chicago on 7th May, please join me! ISAC members can also join online.
Find out more here: eventbrite.com/e/isac-lectu...

Delighted to receive this kind review from @richove.bsky.social in the FT today!