Marianne Colbran

Dr. Marianne Colbran is a distinguished ethnographer and Honorary Fellow in Criminology at the Edinburgh Law School, University of Edinburgh. She holds a Royal Literary Fund Fellowship for the academic years 2024-2026 and has been a Visiting Fellow in the Department of Social Policy at the London School of Economics since 2016. Her academic journey includes postdoctoral work at Oxford and teaching roles at the Centre for Criminology.

• B.A. in English Language and Literature, University of Oxford
• M.Sc. in Criminology, London School of Economics
• Ph.D. in Sociology, London School of Economics

Marianne specializes in the intersection of media production processes and crime reporting. Her research examines how working practices of journalists and media professionals shape public perceptions of crime, policing, and justice. She has pioneered studies on the impact of non-profit journalism on traditional crime reporting and the emerging field of 'live journalism', blending theatre and investigative storytelling.

Her notable works include the monographs Media Representations of Police and Crime (Springer, 2014) and Crime and Investigative Reporting in the UK (Policy Press, 2022). She is currently completing a third book, Policing and The Media (Routledge, under contract), and preparing a fourth titled What We Talk About When We Talk About Crime and Punishment.

Scientific awards and recognitions:

• BAFTA nomination for outstanding television writing (2001)
• Continuing Royal Literary Fund Fellowship (2024-2026)

Her interdisciplinary collaborations include a 2022 storytelling project, It's Criminal, with Scottish non-profits The Ferret and Greater Govanhill Magazine, funded by City University. She has provided expert evidence to UK parliamentary inquiries and actively engages with public discourse through literary festivals.