New transcript illuminates Alan Turing’s experience within LGBTQ+ history

Cambridge scholars have released a full transcription of a short story by Alan Turing that offers a more personal view of the mathematician’s life and sexuality. The semi-autobiographical piece, Pryce’s Buoy, was written shortly after Turing’s 1952 arrest and had remained in King’s College archives since his death in 1954.

Professor Sarah Dillon completed the transcription and says the narrative presents a different public image than the familiar one of a solitary, purely logical genius. In the story Turing writes through a narrator named Alec Pryce, a celebrated scientist who openly enjoys male companionship in selective settings and pursues a romantic encounter after finishing a paper.

Pryce’s Buoy recounts moments of ease and warmth between men, capturing humor and sensuality alongside literary reflection. The manuscript stops abruptly mid-sentence on its sixth page, implying additional material once existed. Dillon called the break frustrating and raised questions about whether further pages were lost or suppressed.

Turing’s real-life relationship with Arnold Murray, which figures behind the story’s scenario, precipitated the legal case that led to his prosecution for gross indecency and subsequent hormonal treatment. Turing died in 1954 from cyanide poisoning in a verdict recorded as suicide; his treatment and criminalization of same-sex relationships remain deeply significant in histories of LGBT+ oppression.

Scholars say Pryce’s Buoy contributes to understanding how Turing used fiction to explore desire and identity, portraying a man who embraced humor, intimacy, and creativity. The recovered transcription adds nuance to public perceptions and enriches conversations about the personal costs of criminalizing sexual orientation.

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