‘The Death of Enkidu’

40 page extract from ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’, translated by Nancy Sandars, written out in black stick ink on Zerkall paper with penmade illustrations embedded in the text; black Canson endpapers, black Somerset card covers, printed paper jacket. Made in 2006. Reproduced with permission from Nancy Sandars and Penguin Books Ltd.

I have made several pieces using this text, which forms part of The Epic of Gilgamesh in the translation by Nancy Sandars (who was godmother to my partner, and who I got to know in later life).

I had wanted to make something in response to the Second Gulf War but was wary of any text that was overtly political. This extract, with its focus on the lament of Gilgamesh for his friend, Enkidu, seems to express that grief that is felt equally on any side of a conflict by those who experience the loss of a loved one before their time is properly up. And, of course, the Epic is located in Mesopotamia, which became modern day Iraq.

I wrote this piece in 2006 and felt it was the first time that I had really ‘hit my stride’, despite having practised calligraphy for over 20 years. It really initiated the process of making handmade books and the attempt to achieve a rhythmic consistency over many pages, which I think is the true purpose of calligraphy.