Dr. Nicholas Flemming in his office. Image by Amna Arain.
InterviEWING dr. nicholas flemming
byMichela Giachino
Having picked up the audio recording equipment the day prior in London, I met Amna in Oxford for coffee the morning of the interview. We sat in a cosy cafe to test all the equipment, camera, mic, tripod etc. and go over our plan for the interview one last time. A frosty and misty November morning, we wanted to leave plenty of time to drive to Dr. Nicholas Flemming’s home!
And so we were off. Amna, I, and our little red car, we were out of Oxford and on the road south-eastwards to Surrey. The autumn mist began to clear as midday approached and a beautiful scenic drive through the English countryside emerged before us. We caught up, spoke a bit of Italian (turns out we both speak it!), and enjoyed the journey together.
When we arrived at our destination we were warmly greeted at the door by the household’s lovely black labrador, Theo, and by Dr. Nicholas Flemming himself. Amna and I introduced ourselves and we were quickly welcomed to set up in the study. Filled with a plethora of exciting objects, books, and artwork from all over the world, the study was exactly how we imagined it would be. Its stained-glass windows further amplified its cosy feel full of wonder.
Tripod set up, audio tested, earphones on, and we were ready to start the interview! We chose a spot with a good source of natural light and a backdrop that held hints of the study’s personality, but was also not too distracting.
From behind the camera, Amna conducted the interview itself while I kneeled to capture the audio from the side. Packed with incredible knowledge, perspective, and insight on the site of Pavlopetri please click here (the video will be available and linked here on January 28, 2025) to listen to the full interview! Dr. Nicholas Flemming goes into great detail about how he re-discovered Pavlopetri in 1968, his collaborations with other esteemed experts in the field, and he makes valuable suggestions for how to increase protection and awareness of the heritage site for future research and engagement. Highlighted is the importance, for example, of ARCH International’s annual Pavlopetri Watch Day initiative.

Dr. Nicholas Flemming’s desk. Image by Amna Arain
Taking in the space after the interview, we noticed a A5-sized landscape map of what seemed to be Pavlopetri resting on a bookshelf. In fact we were right – Dr. Nicholas Flemming narrated the story of how he had come across the map entirely by chance many years back at a flea market in France.
“In France […] I was just looking around. It is probably some antique dealer who bought a book of maps, tore them all out, and then sold them separately to make money. Outrageous, I just picked it up for ten francs or something in France and then I framed it!”
Map of Pavlopetri in Dr. Nicholas Flemming’s office. Image by Amna Arain.

We all laughed and shared the humour of such a curious finding. “Can I offer you a cup of tea or coffee?” shortly followed and we were invited into the dining room. With artworks on every wall, both Amna and I were immediately struck by a quilt that hung in the kitchen which, as it turns out, was made by Dr. Nicholas Flemming’s wife, the modern historian Jay Kleinberg! Beautifully textured with marine colours, Dr. Nicholas Flemming explained to us that he and his wife have dived together in numerous locations around the world and share a love for travel. Over tea he shared more stories of their adventures and we chatted about our own work and career ambitions.
One last pet of Theo and Amna and I were off! What a wonderful experience, we couldn’t have asked for a better day! So much on which to reflect, I highly recommend everyone watches the full interview with Dr. Nicholas Flemming (the video will be available and linked here on January 28, 2025).
Michela Giachino, ARCH Intern
Amna Arain, ARCH Intern
Link to Dr. Nicholas Flemming’s book: Apollonia On My Mind: The Memoir Of a Paraplegic Ocean Scientist (https://www.sidestone.com/books/apollonia-on-my-mind)