Rephonic
Artwork for Writing Wrongs
Forensic Linguistics
Timothy Evans
The Peepshow: the Murders At 10 Rillington Place
John Reginald Christie
Capital Punishment
Urban British English
Authorship Analysis
1950s London
Corpus Linguistics
Domestic Violence
Aston University
Derek Bentley
Dhiren Barot
Al Qaeda
Gas Limo Project
Killy
Drill Music
Stuart Bell
Linguistic Profiling
Abortion

Every sentence tells a story, every word leaves a trace. Writing Wrongs, from the Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics, explores historic and contemporary forensic linguistic cases. Hosts Professor Tim Grant and Dr Nicci MacLeod, who've provided expert evidence in hundreds of cases, examine a specific case and its linguistic analysis each episode. Some episodes feature guest forensic linguists... more

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes27Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
True Crime

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Artwork for Writing Wrongs

Latest Episodes

* Warning: Today’s episode contains discussions of threatening communication *

What makes something a threat? In today’s episode, our hosts Dr Nicci MacLeod and Professor Tim Grant are joined by Dr Isabel Picornell, who tells us about a case in whic... more

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* Warning: Today’s episode contains discussions of murder and racial profiling *

Some time in the 2000s, somewhere in the USA. John Smith, an African American male defendant, has been accused of murder. While in jail awaiting trial, he makes a phon... more

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*Warning: this episode contains descriptions of emotional abuse and manipulation*

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November 12, 2018, Madrid, Spain. 47-year-old Galician man Rodrigo Nogueira Iglesias is arrested near the Puerta de Atocha railway station. His crimes stretched... more

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Recent Guests

John Baugh
Professor of Linguistics, Rice University; Barbara Jordan Distinguished Professor of Linguistics; expert on Black Varieties of American English
Rice University; American Dialect Society; Linguistics Society of America
Episode: Linguistics, Life, and Death
Dr Sheila Queralt
Spain's top forensic linguistics expert
Forensic Lab, Barcelona
Episode: The Case of Don Juan de Marin
Emily Chiang
Research Fellow at Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics
Aston University
Episode: The multiple personas of an online child abuser
Jessica Woodhams
Professor of Forensic Psychology, University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
Episode: Dhiren Barot Part 2: Al Qaeda's al-Britani
Robbie Love
Colleague and real expert in Corpus Linguistics, former host of Corpus Cast
Aston University, Department of English Language and Linguistics
Episode: Season 2 Post-script: Writing Wrongs meets CorpusCast
Tanya Karoli Christensen
Forensic linguist
University of Copenhagen
Episode: Terror in the State of Denmark - Conversations from a List of Resolutes
Ralph Morton
Research associate in Forensic Linguistics and a corpus linguist
Aston University
Episode: Writing Wrongs Live!
Jack Grieve
Professor of Corpus Linguistics, University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
Episode: Fake News at the New York Times The Case of Jayson Blair
Malcolm Coulthard
Professor Emeritus of Linguistics, forensic linguist
Aston University, Center for Forensic Linguistics
Episode: Derek Bentley: Let Him Say It (Part 2)

Hosts

Tim Grant
Host of Writing Wrongs; Professor of Linguistics at Aston University; leads discussions on forensic linguistics and casework.
Nicci MacLeod
Co-host and Deputy Director of AIFL; leads analysis and interpretation in episodes; often presents case studies.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 48 ratings
  • Insiders’ true crime

    Only just discovered this pod and I’m bingeing.

    It’s a great example of what true crime can be - gives an insiders’ view, from a language analysis standpoint I’d not seen before, and which I found fascinating.

    Perhaps because Nicci and Tim and guests are insiders, it’s also respectful and ethical, and sometimes is really funny too. Loving the dynamic!

    Highly recommend

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CapnFlintsParrot
    United Kingdom6 months ago
  • A true true crime podcast

    I’m a teacher and have recommended this podcast to my A-Level English students, but it also a must-listen for anyone interested in criminology. This is true true crime, not the kind of heavily packaged true crime you get on Netflix:

    authentic, accessible, and engaging.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    funlovingcrimbo
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Brilliant insight to real crime solving

    Accessible, informative and entertaining. It’s so

    interesting to hear the insider view on real forensic linguistics cases. Highly recommended!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LinguisticsTeach
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • True crine

    Fantastic ! Very interesting listen

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Underground mutton 1980
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Fabulous

    Fantastic podcast series, fascinating topic , accessible format

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Podcastjunkie1968
    United Kingdom2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise insider perspective and ethical, respectful treatment of cases.
Guests' expertise and practical insights are consistently highlighted as high-quality and informative.
The show is accessible and engaging, suitable for students and professionals alike.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Linguistics, Life, and Death
Q: What is linguistic profiling and how does it relate to racial profiling?
Linguistic profiling focuses on how speech properties signal demographic characteristics and bias, often leading to discrimination in areas like housing or employment, and it is conceptually similar to racial profiling in how language cues shape judgments.
Linguistics, Life, and Death
Q: How did you respond to the issue of probe transcripts potentially misrepresenting what was said on the tape?
I argued that transcripts often fail to faithfully reproduce rapid, dialect-heavy speech, so judges should consider playing the tape and allow witnesses to testify about what was heard, not just what was written.
The Case of Don Juan de Marin
Q: How did you determine gender, age, and regional origin from the language, and what were the main linguistic cues you relied on?
Sheila describes analyzing gendered language in Spanish, age-related language use through content and stylistic cues, and regional variants including Galician influence, plus orthographic and phonetic patterns that hinted at the author's education level and geography.
The Case of Don Juan de Marin
Q: So Sheila, what happened when the private investigators brought you into the case, and how did you approach the initial data?
Sheila explains she was brought in by a private intelligence outfit, worked alongside police units, and began by examining emails and chat logs from eight online identities to determine if they belonged to the same author and to draft a sociolinguistic profile.
Season 2 Post-script: Writing Wrongs meets CorpusCast
Q: What sparked the idea to bring together Writing Wrongs and CorpusCast for this crossover episode?
The hosts explain that Corpus Linguistics provides a set of methods useful for forensic linguistic tasks, and the collaboration aims to deepen listeners' understanding by hearing from Robbie Love, who led Corpus Cast, about corpus methods and their forensic applications.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Writing Wrongs

What is Writing Wrongs about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Fascinating explorations of how language shapes justice, with a focus on linguistic profiling, authorship analysis, and the limits of transcripts and evidence in real cases. Episodes blend case studies from fraud, online harms, and high-profile investigations with methodological rigor and ethical considerations, often featuring guest forensic linguists who speak to expert witness roles and collaboration with investigators. A standout element is the strong emphasis on the practical application of forensic linguistics in courtrooms, including moves analysis, corpus methods, and cross-disciplinary perspectives. The format tends to weave historical context, contemporary casework, and live demonstrations, making it insightful for anyone curious ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Writing Wrongs?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Writing Wrongs:

1. They Walk Among Us - UK True Crime
2. Murder Mile UK True Crime
3. Horror Story: True Paranormal Mysteries and Hauntings
4. Casefile True Crime
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How many episodes of Writing Wrongs are there?

Writing Wrongs launched 2 years ago and published 27 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Writing Wrongs?

Recent guests on Writing Wrongs include:

1. John Baugh
2. Dr Sheila Queralt
3. Emily Chiang
4. Jessica Woodhams
5. Robbie Love
6. Tanya Karoli Christensen
7. Ralph Morton
8. Jack Grieve

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