Writing Wrongs

About Writing Wrongs

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 sharing their experiences as expert witnesses. The series highlights different case types, showcasing the strengths and limitations of forensic linguistics in criminal and civil investigations.

Publisher

Aston Institute for Forensic Linguistics

Category

true crime

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

21 Feb 2025

Latest episode

6 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

29 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Nov 2026

   Writing Wrongs Live! 2026: The Fraud Files

   *Warning: This episode contains discussion of coercive communication and fraud including romance and investmentfraud. Listener discretion is advised.* This special episode was recorded live with audience participation in the very atmospheric venue of West Midlands Police Museum at the Old Steelhouse Lane Lockup on 28th October 2026, as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Science. Tim and Nicci are joined by two distinguished guests, Dr Elisabeth Carter from Kingston University London and Dr Rasha Kassem from Aston University, to examine three cases of romance and investment fraud. They discuss how linguistic expertise sheds light on the manipulative strategies employed by fraudsters, give advice on protecting ourselves and others from this threat, and answer insightful questions from our fantastic live audience. If you enjoyed this episode, you can listen to our previous conversation with Dr Elisabeth Carter (S1 E4 Romance Fraud: The Linguistic Crime Scene), and last year’s live podcast episode (S2 E4 Writing Wrongs Live!). Have a question for Nicci or Tim? Email us at writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk (mailto:writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk) and we may answer it during an upcoming episode! Check out the official AIFL blog for more forensic linguistic goodies here: https://medium.com/@AIFLblog (https://medium.com/@AIFLblog) If you have been affected by any of the themes in thisweek’s episode, please contact one of these free sources: Report Fraud: ⁠https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/⁠ (https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/) City of London Police resources on ⁠romance fraud⁠ (romance%20fraud) and ⁠investment fraud⁠ (https://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa2/fraud/personal-fraud/banking-payment-card-investment-pension-fraud/) https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ (https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/) https://www.helpguide.org/find-help (https://www.helpguide.org/find-help) Production Team: Jordan Robertson, NeusAlberich Buera, Karolina Placzynta, Noorin Iqbal, Amy Brown, Laurence Romain, Michaela Wolf, Maddie Clark, Daisy Etell, Ella Harman Sound: Dave Ison, Premier Production (https://premier-production.com/) Editing: Angela Walker (https://www.angelawalkerreports.com/) Visual design: George Grant Additional Voices: Kirsty Benson, Maddie Clark,Madison Hunter, Daisy Etell, Dana Roemling, Lauren Morgan, Helen Gilfoyle, Sophie Jones, Jon Darling. Photo credits: Noorin Iqbal, Elisabeth Carter, TimGrant, Jordan Robertson, Amy Brown, Ella Harman, Daisy Etell, Laurence Romain. With special thanks to the West Midlands Police Museum. (https://museum.west-midlands.police.uk/) Dr Elisabeth Carter’s home page: ElisabethCarter – Kingston University London (https://www.kingston.ac.uk/about/staff/dr-elisabeth-carter) Dr Rasha Kassem’s home page: Rasha Kassem –Aston Research Explorer (https://research.aston.ac.uk/en/persons/rasha-kassem/) Professor Tim Grant’s home page: TimGrant – Aston Research Explorer (https://research.aston.ac.uk/en/persons/tim-grant) Dr Nicci MacLeod’s home page: Nicci MacLeod –Aston Research Explorer (https://research.aston.ac.uk/en/persons/nicci-macleod)

2. 

   2 Oct 2026

   Letters from Leeds

   * Warning: Today’s episode contains discussions of threatening communication and blackmail* Summer, 2011, Leeds, England. Two elderly residents of a housing estate are feeling terrorised after receiving hand delivered typed letters accusing them of wrongdoing and threatening harm unless they comply with a request for large sums of cash. The letters suggest that they are being watched on a daily basis, and warn them not to involve the police. They both do contact the police, who shortly identify and arresta suspect – local woman Judy Dunne.  A warrant is issued to search Dunne’s house, and a number of her writings areseized. She is also asked to produce some writings while in custody. Struggling to find enough evidence to link Dunne to the letters, police turn to newly qualified forensic linguist Dr Nicci MacLeod for help. This episode discusses how authorship analysis helped in the case. Have a question for Nicci or Tim? Email us at writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk (mailto:writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk) and we may answer it during an upcoming episode! Check out the official AIFL blog for more forensic linguistic goodies here: https://medium.com/@AIFLblog (https://medium.com/@AIFLblog) If you have been affected by any of the themes in this week’s episode, please contact one of these free sources: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ (https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/) https://www.helpguide.org/find-help (https://www.helpguide.org/find-help) Production Team: Jordan Robertson, Neus Alberich Buera, Karolina Placzynta, James Cresswell Sound: James Cresswell Editing: Angela Walker (https://www.angelawalkerreports.com/) Visual design: George Grant Additional Voices: Amy Booth Professor Tim Grant’s home page: Tim Grant -Aston Research Explorer (https://research.aston.ac.uk/en/persons/tim-grant) Dr Nicci MacLeod’s home page: Nicci MacLeod -Aston Research Explorer (https://research.aston.ac.uk/en/persons/nicci-macleod)

3. 

   4 Sept 2026

   O Scotland, Scotland #TwitterThreatTrial

   * 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 which this was the central question. May 3rd, 2021, Scotland. Three days before the Scottish Parliament election and amidst fervent jabs being traded from supporters from all sides, a certain tweet stood out. “See you Galloway, we will get you, ye understand??” Twitter (now X) user @KyleHibee07 posted. This was condemned by supporters of the intended recipient, George Galloway, running for a seat at the time, who took this as a threat on the ex-Labour MP’s life. Our hosts and guest explore the issue of identifying threatening communications by examining this tweet. Have a question for Nicci or Tim? Email us at writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk (mailto:writingwrongs@aston.ac.uk) and we mayanswer it during an upcoming episode! Check out the official AIFL blog for more forensic linguistic goodieshere: https://medium.com/@AIFLblog (https://medium.com/@AIFLblog) If you have been affected by any of the themes in this week’s episode, please contact one of these free sources: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ (https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/) https://www.helpguide.org/find-help (https://www.helpguide.org/find-help) Production Team: Jordan Robertson, Neus Alberich Buera, Karolina Placzynta, James Cresswell Sound: James Cresswell Editing: Angela Walker Visual design: George Grant Additional Voices: Mike Clarkson, Ian MacArthur, BrynMacArthur, Louise Martin, Ali Murray, David Steele, Paula Steele With our thanks to Dr Isabel Picornell Artwork image credits Artwork image of George Galloway: By David Hunt from Warwickshire, UK - Stop The War - 32 - George Galloway, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3002252 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3002252) Artwork image of Scottish flag: Jawad Ali on Vecteezy https://www.vecteezy.com/free-png/scotland-flag-waving (https://www.vecteezy.com/free-png/scotland-flag-waving) Artwork of  An Incident in the Rebellion of 1745, an oil on canvas, painting by David Morier is out of copyright and taken from the Wikipedia link below. For the painting that was part of the original tweet and to find out more about the battle of Culloden see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Culloden#/media/File:The_Battle_of_Culloden.jpg (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Culloden#/media/File:The_Battle_of_Culloden.jpg) Professor Tim Grant’s home page: Tim Grant - Aston Research Explorer (https://research.aston.ac.uk/en/persons/tim-grant) Dr Nicci MacLeod’s home page: Nicci MacLeod - Aston Research Explorer (https://research.aston.ac.uk/en/persons/nicci-macleod) Dr Isabel Picornell’s webpage: Forensic Linguistics | Qedforensics (https://www.qedforensics.com/) Dr Isabel Picornell’s latest book, The Linguistics of Analysing Deception in Written Texts: https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/abs/linguistics-of-analysing-deception-in-written-texts/C257606CC51F70AAED702FBBDE7C41EC (https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/abs/linguistics-of-analysing-deception-in-written-texts/C257606CC51F70AAED702FBBDE7C41EC)

Who has been a guest on Writing Wrongs

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dr Tanya Karoli Christensen
• Dr Emily Chiang
• Dr Ralph Morton
• Jack Grieve
• Professor Malcolm Coulthard

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

28,476,086

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

24 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 54 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

50

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

51

Contact Writing Wrongs

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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