Sarah Dillon reveals new short story by Alan Turing depicts the codebreaker as a playful, literary man rather than an isolated genius.

Sarah Dillon, a professor of literature at the University of Cambridge, has published a new analysis of a previously unpublished short story by Alan Turing. The six-page handwritten work, titled "Pryce's Buoy," suggests that the famous World War II codebreaker was a playful, cheeky, and literary man who "really liked sex," challenging the common stereotype of him as a socially unaware and isolated mathematician. Dillon believes the story, likely written between 1952 and 1953, serves as a direct fictionalization of the sexual encounter that led to Turing's 1952 conviction for gross indecency. The narrative features Alec Pryce, a scientist who represents Turing himself, and Ron Miller, a working-class sex worker. The research also highlights Turing's literary influences, specifically his use of "scaffolding" from the gay novel "Hemlock and After" by Angus Wilson. Dillon argues that the story provides a vital release for Turing, allowing him to be creative and expressive during a period of significant personal trauma.

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