George Hewitt is professor of Caucasian languages at London's School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS). Among his many works are "Peoples of the Caucasus" (in F. Fernández-Armesto, ed.), Guide to the peoples of Europe (Times Books, 1994) and (as editor) The Abkhazians, a handbook (Curzon Press, 1999).

Recent articles

The Georgia-Russia war of August 2008 carries a vital lesson: the small territories that broke from Georgia's control in the early 1990s have their own voice, identity, and interest. They must be active participants in deciding their own future, says George Hewitt, the leading scholar of Abkhazian linguistics and history.

(This article was first published on 18 August 2008)

The unrecognised republic of Abkhazia lies at the heart of the Georgia-Russia dispute. George Hewitt, leading scholar of Abkhazian language and identity, considers how the Abkhaz today view their own future.

The current political convulsions in Georgia can be understood only against the background of its post-Soviet history, says George Hewitt.