Alan Turing's Racy Short Story Reveals Playful, Sex-Positive Side
Professor Sarah Dillon from Cambridge University has examined and transcribed Alan Turing's lesser-known short story, 'Pryce's Buoy,' penned following his 1952 arrest for gross indecency. This incomplete six-page narrative features Ron Miller, a working-class sex worker, alongside Alec Pryce, a character reflecting Turing himself. The story delves into themes of cruising and sexual encounters, challenging the perception of Turing as a solitary mathematician by showcasing a 'playful, funny, cheeky, literary' side of him. Influenced by Angus Wilson's 'Hemlock and After,' the manuscript is archived at King's College, Cambridge, and had not been thoroughly examined prior to Dillon's research, which appears in the Review of English Studies. Turing, who passed away in 1954, underwent chemical castration post-conviction.
Key facts
- Sarah Dillon transcribed and studied Alan Turing's short story 'Pryce's Buoy'.
- The story was written in late 1952 or early 1953, after Turing's arrest for gross indecency.
- Characters include Ron Miller, a working-class sex worker, and Alec Pryce, a scientist.
- Alec Pryce is an autofictional representation of Turing himself.
- The story depicts a potential sexual encounter between Alec and Ron.
- Turing was influenced by Angus Wilson's novel 'Hemlock and After'.
- Dillon's findings are published in the Review of English Studies.
- The story challenges the popular image of Turing as isolated and humourless.
Entities
Artists
- Alan Turing
- Sarah Dillon
- Benedict Cumberbatch
- Angus Wilson
Institutions
- Cambridge University
- King's College, Cambridge
- Manchester University
- Bletchley Park
- Review of English Studies
- University of Cambridge
- BBC
Locations
- Cambridge
- Manchester
- Norway
- England
- Wales