Selena Wisnom is an Assyriologist and playwright who combines her academic work with theatre and public engagement. Her research focuses on the languages, literature, and culture of ancient Iraq, particularly poetry and divination. Her plays draw on her academic interests and are set in the ancient Near East: ‘Ashurbanipal: The Last Great King of Assyria’ and ‘Esarhaddon: The Substitute King’ have been staged in Oxford, and she is currently writing a third about the murder of Sennacherib. As an AHRC Cultural Engagement Fellow, Selena is working to build links between local theatres and the academic community.