Research

My research interests revolve around international thought in the twentieth century. I am interested in the ideas and images that shaped past conceptions of world order in Britain, the United States, Italy and France.

In my book, (The Emergence of Globalism, Princeton University Press, 2017) I explore the intellectual history of the concept of world order during and in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. Focusing on an array of public intellectuals, both in the United State and in Europe, I trace the plurality of ideas about globalism and international relations that emerged from the war, to trace the complex genealogy of the idea of world order in the last century. The book reconstructs visions of federalism, welfarism, human rights, geopolitics, democracy and political space to delineate the terms of discussion on international relations in the pre-Cold War period. I look at the works of Raymond Aron, David Mitrany, Lionel Curtis, Barbara Wootton, Friedrich Hayek, Owen Lattimore, Nicholas Spykman, Michael Polanyi and H.G. Wells.

I published articles and book chapters on federalism, geopolitics in the United States and Italy, realism and international relations, historiography of IR and social catholic international thought. For the full list see publications page.

My previous research projects focused on international theory. I have written on British liberal internationalism in the interwar years, in the writings of Alfred Zimmern, John A. Hobson and Henry N. Brailsford, and on cosmopolitan theory and current theories of global democracy (mainly David Held and Otfried Höffe).

I am currently completing a research project on Italian international thought in the twentieth century, supported by the British Academy Small Research Grant.

My research ‘side projects’ are mainly related to design, fashion and food history. I am the founder of the Migrants’ Supper Club, a London-based initiative aims at sharing migration histories through food experience. I am also the editor and co-founder of the online  magazine, ‘Travels in the Wardrobe’ (masaot.com). With designer Ilana Efrati we  show the cultural, political and historical – rather than commercial – aspects of design and fashion.