The College warmly congratulates former Junior Research Fellow at Queen’s, and now Lecturer at the University of Leicester, Dr Selena Wisnom on being shortlisted for the 2026 Wolfson History Prize.
Dr Wisnom has been shortlisted for her book The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of History, which is the earliest single period study ever to be shortlisted. The judges said:
Wisnom’s book offers a thrilling panorama of ancient Mesopotamian society and culture, bringing its strikingly sophisticated systems of thought and belief to life for modern readers.
As Dr Wisnom explains, her book is about one of history’s best kept secrets – a library that survives because it burned down in the 7th century BC. The documents it contained were written on clay tablets, which were hardened by the fire as if in a giant kiln. Now 33,000 of them are sitting on the shelves of the British Museum, and give us incredible insight into the sophisticated cultures of ancient Iraq, encompassing topics as diverse as religion and literature to magic and medicine, the historical consciousness of a 3,000 year-old civilisation, and how they divined the future.
She says:
I’m absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted for the Wolfson prize. It’s a really special honour, since writing rigorous history in an accessible way has always been important to me. I’m delighted that Mesopotamia is getting this recognition, and I hope it encourages more people to study Assyriology.
