#BookPride21: Week 3, 'Sterling Karat Gold' by Isabel Waidner

Sterling Karat Gold is a hard book to describe. Some people go for 'surreal' and reference Kafka's The Trial, others look at its hopeful message, and still others praise its comedic voice. As I devoured it, I read so many parts aloud to my girlfriend that she had to read it as soon as I was done. When she was finished I said, "Wasn't it hilarious?" and she said yes, if by 'hilarious' I meant 'deeply sad'. 

This kaleidoscopic story follows Sterling, a scrappy underdog who finds themselves caught in the web of state violence after being pulled into a bullfight against their will. The sights and sounds will be familiar to many queer people in London, as our band of underdogs tour around Camden and Margate (its 'queer-friendly' reputation traded for the looming presence of a detention centre), participate in a Patreon-funded front-room theatre show and take their degrees from Central Saint Martin as mature students. The familiar moments are lovingly pastiched even as they are interwoven with pop culture moments turned plot points, animals marching off of album covers and monsters climbing out of paintings to advance our action. 

And yet, there is nothing loose about the plot; every reference is followed up, every time-travelled moment is reached again as the timelines conclude their loops. You don't need to have read The Trial to follow the plot (I certainly haven't), and Isabel even kindly includes a bibliography of pop culture references made in the book for anyone who wants to follow them up.

​It is adventurous without being pretentious, and even as Isabel looks to the reaches of literary form, they leave the door open for anyone to follow behind them. 

- Team members Isadore, on why 'Sterling Karat Gold' was their favourite queer work of the last year.