Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · 15h

I've just found out which Babylonian god people prayed to to get up early in the morning - Ninurta!
'To do business at the quay where traffic rushes swiftly by,
You, O unrivalled king of the world, rouse at daybreak him who else would not rise.'
From www.ebl.lmu.de/corpus/L/3/1...

electronic Babylonian Library

The electronic Babylonian Library (eBL) Project brings together ancient Near Eastern specialists and data scientists to revolutionize the way in which the literature of Iraq in the first millennium BC...

www.ebl.lmu.de

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · 8d

Tickets are availabe here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/performanc...

PERFORMANCE | A Mesopotamian Evening

The evening comprises three performances - one in Arabic, one in English and one in Arabic and English.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · 8d

Exciting event alert: P21 Gallery and The Enheduanna Society are hosting a Performance Evening on 25th October in London. Badia Obaid, June Peters and Tara Jaff will perform Mesopotamian poetry and a modern retelling of the story of priestess and poet Enheduanna.

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · 8d

My poem 'Kabuki Costume' is featured on Poetry Worth Hearing - thank you, Kathleen McPhilemy!

You can read it online here:
poetryworthhearing.biz/post/poetry-...

You can listen to the whole episode here:

Poetry Worth Hearing: Episode 35

The 35th episode of Poetry Worth Hearing had as its prompt 'making up'. As ever, I hoped poets would interpret this as widely as they needed to and suggested a triplet of ideas as starting points: mak...

poetryworthhearing.biz

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · 15d

By responsibly I mean in such a way that does not outsource thinking

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · 15d

Has anything been said about what it means to use AI ‘responsibly’ and how tutors are meant to engage?

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · 24d

Yes Sophus‘ Enheduanna book is great, I also highly recommend that!

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · 25d

Thanks Michael - it is a wonderful world and there is so much of it! I also loved There Are Rivers in the Sky. Did you know you can read most of the classics of Babylonian poetry online here: www.ebl.lmu.de/corpus ?

electronic Babylonian Library

The electronic Babylonian Library (eBL) Project brings together ancient Near Eastern specialists and data scientists to revolutionize the way in which the literature of Iraq in the first millennium BC...

www.ebl.lmu.de

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · 26d

A review of Library of Ancient Wisdom and Between Two Rivers by Moudhy Al-Rashid in The Times Literary Supplement - thank you @lsmwilson.bsky.social for kind words!

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · 28d

Thrilled to be taking part in the Overboard! @classicsforall.bsky.social reverse balloon debate discussing which arch villain from the ancient world deserves to be chucked out rather than saved
25th September, London or online - tickets:
classicsforall.org.uk/news-and-eve...

Overboard! 2025

🗓️25.09.25 📍Linklaters, London EC2Y 8HQ 🎟️ £20 (£15 concessions, £10 livestream) When Poseidon sends a tempest to stir up the Aegean, four titans of the ancient world find themselves stuck on a rapidl...

classicsforall.org.uk

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · Aug 28

The label doth protest too much, methinks

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · Aug 23

Thank you, and yes I have! It is fantastic and so much rings so true

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · Aug 22

Had a great time at Ancients history podcast! Thank you for inviting me, Tristan Hughes - it is always fun to talk about Ashurbanipal, his dynasty, library and more!

You can give it a listen here:
shows.acast.com/the-ancients...

The Ancients

A podcast for all ancient history fans! The Ancients is dedicated to discussing our distant past. Featuring interviews with historians and archaeologists, each episode covers a specific theme from ant...

shows.acast.com

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · Aug 22

Another amazing episode of Curator's Corner @BritishMuseum! Very informative and beautifully shot - Ashurbanipla's lion hunt scenes are presented in such incredible detail!

www.youtube.com/watch?app=de...

Why this Assyrian king hunted exactly eighteen lions | Curator’s Corner S10 Ep5

YouTube video by The British Museum

www.youtube.com

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Reposted by Dr Selena Wisnom

Gareth L. Powell @garethlpowell.bsky.social · Aug 21

In the bookshop this morning:

PARENTS: “Okay, we’re leaving now.”

CHILD: *pulls another book from the shelf and sits down *

CHILD: “Then I guess this is goodbye.”

180 1.2K 10K

Reposted by Dr Selena Wisnom

Ashmolean Museum, Oxford @ashmoleanmuseum.bsky.social · Aug 18

Imagine Excel but 5000 years ago…

Early tablets like this one were used for administrative purposes to record the storage and distribution of goods, animals and people.

This tablet comes from Jemdet Nasr, the remains of an ancient site in southern Mesopotamia (modern Iraq).

📝 AN1926.583

A stone tablet carved with ancient calculations

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · Aug 7

Thank you @scottgoldie.bsky.social ! So glad you enjoyed it

Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · Aug 7

Probably more reliable than Chat GPT in my experience 😂

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · Aug 7

Thank you David. I’d say it’s never too late! www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Bab...

Complete Babylonian: A Comprehensive Guide to Reading and Understanding Babylonian, with Original Texts (Teach Yourself): Amazon.co.uk: Worthington, Martin: 9781473627802: Books

Buy Complete Babylonian: A Comprehensive Guide to Reading and Understanding Babylonian, with Original Texts (Teach Yourself) Bilingual by Worthington, Martin (ISBN: 9781473627802) from Amazon's Book S...

www.amazon.co.uk

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · Aug 3

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

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 […]

archaeology.org

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · Aug 1

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, Yoshika Colwell live from Maida Vale and Selena Wisnom

Cerys welcomes singer-songwriter Yoshika Colwell to perform live from Maida Vale.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · Aug 1

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...

BBC Radio 6 Music - Cerys Matthews

Eclectic music from blues to beats with poetry and live sessions.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · Jul 25

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

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...

www.selenawisnom.com

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · Jul 24

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...

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.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Dr Selena Wisnom @lswisnom.bsky.social · Jul 22

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

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