  We present the first Suzaku observation of the new Soft Gamma Repeater SGR
0501+4516, performed on 2008 August 26, four days after the onset of bursting
activity of this new member of the magnetar family. The soft X-ray persistent
emission was detected with the X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) at a 0.5-10 keV
flux of 3.8E-11 erg/s/cm2, with a spectrum well fitted by an absorbed blackbody
plus power-law model. The source pulsation was confirmed at a period of
5.762072+/-0.000002 s, and 32 X-ray bursts were detected by the XIS, four of
which were also detected at higher energies by the Hard X-ray Detector (HXD).
The strongest burst, which occurred at 03:16:16.9 (UTC), was so bright that it
caused instrumental saturation, but its precursor phase, lasting for about 200
ms, was detected successfully over the 0.5-200 keV range, with a fluence of
~2.1E-7 erg/cm2 and a peak intensity of about 89 Crab. The entire burst fluence
is estimated to be ~50 times higher. The precursor spectrum was very hard, and
well modeled by a combination of two blackbodies. We discuss the bursting
activity and X/gamma-ray properties of this newly discovered Soft Gamma
Repeater in comparison with other members of the class.
