Sapienship is proud to have managed and co-produced the adaptation of bestselling book Sapiens into an enticing graphic novel series – in line with our mission to engage the general public with the story of humankind, and to facilitate a global conversation on issues that matter. Our editorial team embraced the challenge of telling the epic story of our species visually: we ensured every illustrated page was approached with research-based scientific rigour, and with attention to diversity and multiple cultural perspectives. Sapienship enjoyed not only facilitating the creative collaboration between renowned authors Yuval Noah Harari (co-writer), David Vandermeulen (co-writer) and Daniel Casanave (illustrator) – across continents and amidst a pandemic – but also contributing to the delicate representation of humankind in a way that is inclusive and universal.
The series was launched in fall 2020 with Volume 1, The Birth of Humankind. It takes us on a wild, colorful and humorous ride through the cognitive revolution – guided by a fictional Yuval Noah Harari and a whole host of globetrotting characters. Together, they cut through the noise of our information-deluged world, step back, and take a look at the really big picture: the entire history of the human species. At the heart of their explorations is a niggling question: how on Earth did an insignificant ape become the ruler of the planet, capable of splitting the atom, flying to the Moon, and manipulating the genetic code of life? Check out the rest of this page to get a flavor of the book, its characters, where you can buy it, and what kind of adventures you can expect in volumes 2-5!