New Books Network Georgios Giannakopoulos, "The Interpreters: British Internationalism and Empire in Southeastern Europe, 1870-1930" (Manchester UP, 2025)
Nov 6, 2025
Georgios Giannakopoulos, a Lecturer in modern history and author of The Interpreters, dives into the fascinating interplay between British internationalism and Southeastern Europe from 1870 to 1930. He discusses how British scholars navigated complex nationalisms and shaped regional narratives, focusing on pivotal figures like Arthur Evans and Seton-Watson. The conversation touches on the political ramifications of 1870s Bulgarian atrocities, the role of archaeology in civilization narratives, and the ongoing influence of these historical interpreters on modern discussions about empire and identity.
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Origins Of The Project
- Georgios links his motivation to 9/11 and Edward Said, which led him to study how East/West categories are produced.
- He expanded from Greece to a regional focus on imperial collapse and national formation in Southeastern Europe.
Why 'Interpreters' Matters
- Georgios chooses 'interpreters' to highlight inherent misunderstandings and power imbalances in translation of regional claims.
- He aims to pair British imperial contexts with Austro-Ottoman crises to reveal shared problems of governance.
Why The 1870s Matter
- The 1870s made the Eastern Question urgent and brought Bulgarian massacres into British domestic politics.
- That decade turned a distant Ottoman province into a British political focal point.
