Sterling Karat Gold by Isabel Waidner
Episode notes
In this episode, Rosie and Georgie discuss Sterling Karat Gold (Peninsula Press, 2021), the latest novel by Isabel Waidner. At its centre is the sweet and thoughtful Sterling, a young, queer migrant living in contemporary London as a cleaner and performer. As we follow the story of Sterling and their friend's persecution by the state, and their bold methods of resistance, a surreal and whirlwind tale involving footballers, time travel, and bullfighters unfolds.
Listen to us talk about the novel’s rich web of visual and textual references and its whip-smart prose, and how Waidner offers humour, creativity and joy as a counter to the sinister machinations of the ruling classes. We finish with a highly irrelevant, meandering conversation about UK Love Island 2022 (ITV), about three months too late…no hot takes here.
Links
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Buy Sterling Karat Gold: https://peninsulapress.co.uk/products/sterling-karat-gold
Mentions
Franz Kafka, The Trial (1925, Verlag Die Schmiede)
Camille Roy, Honey Mine. Eds. Lauren Levin & Eric Smeathen (2017, Nightboat Books)
The Justin Campaign: http://justincampaign.blogspot.com/
Interview with Waidner in the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jun/19/isabel-waidner-different-doesnt-need-to-be-scary-it-can-be-fun
The Beach Boys, Smiley Smile (1967, Brother Records)
Hieronymous Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1503-1515
Fantastic Toiles: https://www.instagram.com/fantastictoiles/?hl=en
The Crucifixion of Christ, Anonymous, 1350
Love Island (2022, ITV