Show Notes
* Warning: Today’s episode contains descriptions of violent murder, grooming and child sexual abuse, and online extremism. *
This month, Writing Wrongs comes to you live as a part of the ESRC 2025 Festival of Social Science, from the West Midlands Police Museum at the Old Steelhouse Lane Lock-up. Our hosts are joined by colleagues Dr Emily Chiang and Dr Ralph Morton to discuss the past, present, and future of forensic linguistics. This is a preview of their (along with Prof Malcolm Coulthard) forthcoming book titled Forensic Linguistics in the United Kingdom: Origins, Progress and Prospects, which will be available in 2026 from Cambridge Elements.
In the episode (about 40 minutes in) we discuss the Jenny Nicholl case and how their language differs - this is a transcription of the slide that the live audience could see: · I am | Nicholl’s preference = im | Hodgson’s preference = i am · I have | Nicholl’s preference = ive | Hodgson’s preference = ave · my/myself | Nicholl’s preference = my/myself | Hodgson’s preference = me/meself · off | Nicholl’s preference = off | Hodgson’s preference = of · to | Nicholl’s preference = [word]2[word] | Hodgson’s preference = [word]2+space[word] · see you | Nicholl’s preference = cu | Hodgson’s preference = cya · phone | Nicholl’s preference = fone | Hodgson’s preference = phone · shit | Nicholl’s preference = shit | Hodgson’s preference = shite · am not | Nicholl’s preference = ‘m not | Hodgson’s preference = ain’t
We were also thrilled to be joined by many of our Wrong’uns (our loving nickname for our fans) for this recording session! It was so lovely to get to meet you and hear your stories. Thank you for your support!
For a list of our sources and more information about this case, please visit https://www.aston.ac.uk/writing-wrongs
Have a question for Nicci or Tim? Email us at [email protected] 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
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.helpguide.org/find-help
Production Team: Angela Walker, Loretta Milan, Jordan Robertson, Neus Alberich Buera Sound: Angela Walker Visual design: George Grant Additional Voices: Lesley McCarthy, Paul McCarthy, Dana Roemling, Marie Kreft, and Alexander Oldknow With our thanks to the ESRC and the West Midlands Police Museum, Dr Zoe Adams, Dr Daniela Schneevogt, and Karolina Placzynta Resources Professor Tim Grant’s home page: Tim Grant - Aston Research Explorer
Dr Nicci MacLeod’s home page: Nicci MacLeod - Aston Research Explorer
Dr Emily Chiang’s home page: Emily Chiang - Aston Research Explorer
Dr Ralph Morton’s homepage: Ralph Morton - Aston Research Explorer
More from Writing Wrongs
* Warning: Today’s episode contains discussions of threatening communication and blackmail*
* Warning: Today’s episode contains discussions of threatening communication *
* Warning: Today’s episode contains discussions of murder and racial profiling *
*Warning: this episode contains descriptions of emotional abuse and manipulation* --- 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 back more than twenty years. Rodrigo frequented social media platforms and dating websites where he used fake profiles, pretending to be different people with different names and professions, all with the initial goal of attracting the attention of women who could be potential victims. We are joined by Dr Sheila Queralt – a friend of the Institute and Spain’s top forensic linguistics expert, having consulted on some 300 cases over the past 15 years and testified as a linguistics expert witness in criminal and civil trials across 10 countries, with cases reaching courts including the ECHR. Her work in forensic linguistics at ForensicLab continues through her Laboratory based in Barcelona, which provides linguisticanalysis of recorded conversations and voice messages, as well as written documents. --- In the episode, we make references to episodes 1.4 Romance Fraud, featuring a conversation with Dr Lis Carter, and 3.2 The Multiple Personas of an Online Child Abuser, featuring DrEmily Chiang.