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Discover the untold story of Enheduanna, the world’s first named author, as she navigates power, betrayal, and divine destiny in ancient Mesopotamia. A mesmerizing fusion of history, myth, and female leadership that challenges how we see the past—and ourselves.
I'm pleased to welcome author Ellen Rachlin to The Writing Desk:
Tell us about your book.
It’s about a little-known ancient world that lasted for about 2,000 years, a high priestess who happens to be the world’s first named author, a life-or-death struggle that shaped the course of literature, and revenge.
Enheduanna is one of the most notable historical figures of ancient Mesopotamia. She wielded a great deal of power, but paid a steep price for assuming such authority. She was the daughter of Sargon the Great, a prominent high priestess, and the world’s first named author. There is attestation in one of the hymns attributed to her that she was forced into exile by a rebel king, but later reinstated. That’s all we know. My story imagines her rise to power, her fall, and her restoration.
The remarkable works attributed to her make her extraordinary, whether or not she was their actual author. We don’t know which is true, but both possibilities help explain why she stands out as one of the most memorable figures of this long chapter in ancient history. That uncertainty gave me the freedom to create a rich narrative around an extraordinary woman’s life.
What is your preferred writing routine?
I enter a state of slight panic that I can’t channel my characters deeply enough. That’s when I’m most alert. Then I calm down and write, ideally every day.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Study with teachers who know what they are doing. Learn craft first. Without structure, it’s much more difficult to communicate your story. Without knowing the basic elements, it’s impossible to know how the rules can be changed, if one chooses to do so. Then keep studying and reading. I’m still learning.
After that, focus on the story you wish to tell and on creating it. There’s a more commercial approach in which a writer studies the market and embraces where readership is concentrated. If one can write quickly, I suppose that’s a viable process, but tastes change, and it takes a long time to bring a book to readers.
If you write what you are passionate about, you’re more likely to make your characters come alive.
What have you found to be the best way to raise awareness of your books?
There are so many outlets. I don’t think anyone knows what works best. Writers I know try everything, and there are lots of people willing to help. But at the heart of raising awareness is the author’s willingness to stand behind their work and champion it. Authors are the best spokespeople for their work.
Tell us something unexpected you discovered during your research
Ancient Mesopotamian myths echoed mortal life experiences. Their gods were neither solely good nor solely evil, but complex beings possessing elements of both. They were subject to errors in judgment, human-like weaknesses, accountability for their actions, and judgment by other gods. This is quite different from modern notions of divinity.
Because of these qualities, the myths offered natural parallels to the Enheduanna of my imagination. She is a woman of remarkable agency for her time. She is also targeted by rebels and even by her own brothers. She is victimized, but refuses to be a victim. At first, this makes her ruthless, just as the gods can be in the myths. Yet, as in the myths, power has its price.
The myths themselves became my inspiration, along with Enheduanna’s mysterious and largely unknown life.
What was the hardest scene you remember writing?
Every scene has challenges; the most difficult one in Enheduanna’s Song From the Sands was the first chapter. I couldn’t tell her story without telling her father’s story. Enheduanna didn’t make enemies; she inherited generational ones. Sargon’s story needed to be told without interruption, so I began there rather than with Enheduanna. Slowing down and choosing to open with Sargon as a young cupbearer (one responsible for food and drink for a king) was a difficult choice.
What are you planning to write next?
At the moment, I’m writing a literary novel set in modern times, but I plan to return to ancient Mesopotamia, as there are so many figures from that era who fascinate me. By then, I hope that more readers will be curious about ancient Mesopotamia.
Ellen Rachlin
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About the Author
Ellen Rachlin’s poetry has appeared in American Poetry Review, Comstock Review, Granta, Court Green, Literary Imagination, and various anthologies. She has published two collections of her poems, Until Crazy Catches Me (Antrim House, 2008) and Permeable Divide (Antrim House, 2017), winner of the 2018 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award. She is also the author of two chapbooks, Waiting for Here (Finishing Line Press, 2004), a finalist in the New Women's Voices series, and Captive to Residue (Flarestack Publishing, 2009). She received her MFA from Antioch University. She serves as Treasurer of The Poetry Society of America and is a partner at Blue Leaf Ventures. Other writing genres include numerous textbook and journal articles on the subject of finance and investing with various publishers including Wiley. Find out more at Ellen's Website:
https://www.ellenrachlin.com/ and find her on
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