Woodstock musician, artist, and rare book expert, Sonny Saul has published a new edition of Gilgamesh, a book literally thousands of years in the making!

The story of Gilgamesh is the first great work of universal literature. It is an ancient tale of "the hero's journey" and the oldest account of self-realization that we have, composed at a time shortly after the invention of writing.

This edition is based on comparisons of previous translations and a broad study of Mesopotamian culture. The story is updated with recent information collected when megalithic structures–buried on purpose about seven thousand (!) years before civilization began in Sumer–were discovered around Globecki Teppe in Turkey. It includes historical notes and background about the society while avoiding excessive scholarship.

The text is illustrated with annotated, full-color painted bas-reliefs done in the Sumerian idiom by Don Denton, a long-time friend of Sonny's.

For more information, please email programs@normanwilliams.org.

May 22, 2024, 4 to 4:30 PM

May 23, 2024, 10 to 11:30 AM

May 26, 2024, 3 to 5:30 PM