About Sylvia
Sylvia Spruck Wrigley was born in Germany on a cold spring evening.
She spent most of her childhood in Los Angeles but escaped
at the end of the 1980s. After a few years of drifting, she moved
to England where her accent was irretrievably damaged. She
somehow ended up in Estonia with no good explanation. You can
contact her by email at
[email protected].
Newsletter
I'm middle-aged and five foot tall and my knee aches when it rains. I write about embarrassment and passion and anger. I write about conflict. Sometimes that conflict is not wanting to overpay for garlic, other times it's trying to enter a foreign country without any paperwork.
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News
The Mystery at Mull
5 March 2025
The Times called me to talk about the Mull aviation mystery. This is one of my favourite airfields and I was thrilled to share what I knew about the story. Always thrilled to see aviation history featured in mainstream media and I'm flattered to have contributed to this piece -- and that I got the last word. :D
You can read the full piece in The Times: Great Mull Air Mystery has finally been solved by Marc Horne.
Reading Room Residency
7 January 2025
I'm thrilled to announce my upcoming Reading Room Residency at the British Library, where I'll be conducting focused research for my paper on age and aging representation in Star Trek: Picard. The British Library's extensive archives and historic reading rooms offer the perfect environment for deep investigation.
This week-long research period supports my contribution to the upcoming publication on the third age of Star Trek and its cultural impact.
Three Months on a Gull-Infested Roof
17 October 2024
My latest creative nonfiction piece follows a pair of herring gulls who took up residence on the roof outside my window in April and decided it was a good place to raise a family. The story unfolds in three parts:
Part One: Feathered Siege - The invasion begins
Part Two: Fluffy Occupation - Three chicks turn my life upside down
Part Three: The Last Gull Standing - I thought I knew how this story would end. I was wrong.
Available now on the platform of your choice:
Pole Dancing with the Gods
4 September 2024
I attended a great show and vary daring show at HUNGR as a part of the Tallinn Fringe and I thought you might enjoy my review, Pole Dancing with the Gods: Norse Mythology for Adults published at Sour Cream and Dill.
Someone wearing a sheet over their head topped by a pair of antlers slipped towards the stage. The specter carefully polished the pole and disappeared again. The crowd hushed as three women entered the stage area: the elven-eared girl and two others in less identifiable costumes. Was the leather-clad dancer with the pixie cut Freya? Were the angel wings meant to signify a Valkyrie? Each took a turn dancing in front of the pole and then on it. The pole quivered but held steady, even when one woman pulled her way to the very top.
If you are in Tallinn, I recommend checking out the events in HUNGR. They are a queer-friendly space who are taking the opportunity to do something different.
Transitions (Tartu Prima Vista)
6 May 2024
I am in Tartu! I'm attending Transitions, the 2024 annual conference of the Science Fiction Research Association. Tartu is also hosting Futures Better and Worse as a part of the Tartu Internationa Literary Festival, so it promises to be an action-packed week.
My presentation will be on Friday, the 10th of May at 15:30.
Navigating the Final Frontier: The Journey into Old Age in 'Star Trek: Picard'
This paper explores themes of leadership, legacy, and the human aging process in 'Star Trek: Picard'. Traditionally, Star Trek has suffered from persistent ageist tropes, most blatantly celebrating old age in alien races while depicting human elders as frail, emotionally unstable and unfit for leadership. 'Star Trek: Picard' explores human old age through the character of Jean-Luc Picard, who is forced to confront the challenges of aging: loss, regret and the need for reinvention. As he reunites with the crew of 'The Next Generation', the series has the opportunity to explore many facets of old age and aging across a range of personalities. This analysis focuses on the first series and whether 'Star Trek: Picard' promises a a more nuanced view of old age or reinforces those very stereotypes that have dogged the Star Trek universe from the beginning. The author seeks seeks to contribute a deeper understanding of how popular science fiction influences and reflects societal attitudes towards aging. 'Star Trek: Picard' may not have broken the barriers of ageist stereotypes, but the first series undeniably sets a course for new discussions.
If you are in Tartu this week for either of the events, please let me know; it'd be great to say hello!
5 March 2025
The Mystery at Mull7 January 2025
Reading Room Residency17 October 2024
Three Months on a Gull-Infested Roof4 September 2024
Pole Dancing with the Gods6 May 2024
Transitions (Tartu Prima Vista)Sylvia's Books
Pilot Error
Buckle up for an exhilarating ride through the world of aviation mishaps in Pilot Error! Aviation expert Sylvia Wrigley provides an eye-opening exposé of mistakes made in the cockpit, ranging from comical blunders to catastrophic consequences.
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Without a Trace 1970-2017
The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 in 2014 is considered the greatest aviation mystery of our time but it does not stand alone. How could a military pilot chasing a glowing unidentified object disappear from radar in an instant? How did India's military misplace five fighter jets? Did a young Australian pilot flying over the Australian coast really get abducted by aliens? These questions and more are explored in Volume 2 of Without a Trace.
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Without a Trace 1881-1968
For many, aviation still brings with it an air of mystery, a century-long magic trick. Though most of us will board an aircraft at some point in our lives, we know little about how they work and the procedures surrounding their operation. It is that mystery that makes these losses, such as the vanishing of Malaysia Airlines flight 370, so terrifying.
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Why Planes Crash — Case Files: 2003
Why Planes Crash Case Files: 2003 follows eleven aircraft disasters from 2003, detailing how the accidents happened and how they might have been avoided. This "CSI for aviation enthusiasts" series examines both the history and the current climate of aviation to unravel the instigating events which led to these catastrophes.
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Domnall and the Borrowed Child
The best and bravest faeries fell in the war against the Sluagh, and now the Council is packed with idiots and cowards. Domnall is old, aching and as cranky as they come but, as much as he'd like to retire, he's the best scout the Sithein court has left.
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The Mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370
In this age of constant surveillance, it shouldn't be possible to lose a Boeing 777 carrying 239 passengers. It's inconceivable that the aircraft flew for seven hours without anyone noticing that it was up there, completely off track. Yet, that's exactly what happened.
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Why Planes Crash — Case Files: 2002
The second book in the Why Planes Crash series covers incidents and accidents in 2002, including two in-flight suicides, the Sknyliv airshow disaster, how to write off a Saab 2000, an aircraft collision over the runway, a dramatic river landing, Air China 129’s flight into a Korean mountain, and finally, an in-depth view of the Überlingen mid-air collision.
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Why Planes Crash — Case Files: 2001
This, the first of the series, deconstructs eleven of the most interesting incidents that the world saw in the year 2001. These include a detailed analysis of the disastrous runway incursion at Linate, the passenger interference leading to the Avjet Aspen Crash and why an Airbus A300 disintegrated over Queens.
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You Fly Like a Woman
Getting a pilot's licence was the furthest thing from her mind – until an ex-RAF instructor suggested that she wasn't competent to do so. The thing is, he could be right. Sylvia has just a few weeks to prove that she can fly as well as any man.
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