Selena Wisnom

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: selenawisnom.com

My latest for @NatGeo Stones and Bones newsletter is on the Amarna letters nationalgeographic.com/history/articl… @news_ub

My poem ‘Cartonnage’ has been published in the June issue of Bad Lilies magazine: badlilies.uk/selena-wisnom Do check out the issue - there is so much beautiful work here! badlilies.uk/issue-twenty-f… Thanks to @BadLilies !

So the livers were right again. Just saying theguardian.com/politics/2026/…

@IlhanNiaz Thanks so much @IlhanNiaz - I hope your readers enjoy it!

My review of Selena Wisnom’s The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia & the Making of the Modern World. If you have time to read just one history book this summer, then make it this one, because, with all the firsts achieved by ancient Mesopotamia, there really isn’t much point in picking up the story from a later point. The OG of Civs:

This was one of my favourite podcasts to be on - check out Classical Wisdom Speaks, where I talk about the lessons Mesopotamia has for the modern world

To learn cuneiform is to be initiated into the secrets of the universe - thanks to the Hay-goers who came to my workshop and took their first scribal steps!

@diana4hereford Thanks, and thanks for capturing it from the audience!

@LSWisnom It was fascinating, Selena!

A thousand people came to my talk at Hay Festival yesterday and I was signing books for 40 minutes afterwards the queue was so long 😮 Thanks to everyone who came and I look forward to teaching more people cuneiform this afternoon!

The live liver divination predicted that Andy Burnham will win the election on June 18th. Also shout out to upper court farm butchery for delivering livers in such heat!

Finally got round to reading my friend @OskarCoxJensen’s debut novel and it did not disappoint. A rollicking murder mystery with a delightful charm - funny, entertaining, and highly recommended!

Thrilled to be elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and looking forward to getting involved! @RoyalHistSoc royalhistsoc.org/society-elects…

Words of wisdom from the ancients

Marduk visits his ziggurat in Oxford (or: Jupiter visible over the Said Business School) @OxfordSBS @UniofOxford

@John4bricknell @ActionnaireRe Same here!

@LSWisnom @ActionnaireRe The Oxford Comma one of the few hills I will mount a spirited defence on.

Good to see Oxford standing up for commas

Tickets: The talk (event 224): The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of History Wednesday 27 May 2026, 5.30pm hayfestival.com/p-25379-selena… Learn to Write in Cuneiform, the World’s First Writing System (event 265) Thursday 28 May 2026, 4pm hayfestival.com/p-25337-selena…

I'm thrilled to let you know that I will participate in the Hay Festival this year - twice. On 27th May, I will discuss the literary culture of Mesopotamia and perform liver divination with my audience. The next day, I will teach you how to write in cuneiform!

You can also read the review online: dailymail.co.uk/home/books/art…

A review of 'The Library of Ancient Wisdom' is featured in today's @DailyMail Book of the Week - and what a fun title! Thank you, Kathryn Hughes, for reviewing my book!