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