When Katharina Volckmer’s debut novel, The Appointment, was released by Fitzcarraldo Editions in 2020, she didn’t give us any impression that this was merely her first book. The novel was slim but it was as sharp and biting as a vicious Chihuahua. Taking place over the course of a therapy session, it tackled everything from the contemporary awkwardness of Germany’s political history to gender trouble. In Calls May be Recorded for Training and Monitoring Purposes, which has just been released by The Indigo Press, Volckmer returns with a sophomore effort that makes you wonder why her name isn’t more widely recognised.
In the new novel, Volckmer trades the absurdity of therapy for the monotonous grind of a call centre. In a move that feels typical of her style, the opening chapter describes her main character getting caught short and soiling himself on his doorstep. What follows is one extended sequence that takes up the majority of the novel and describes just one day in the call centre, as experienced by Jimmie.
The centre provides support for holidaymakers facing issues at a luxury hotel and the calls that flood in are as ridiculous as they are hilarious. It’s an ideal backdrop for Volckmer to flex her comedic chops, allowing her to create a series of increasingly absurd scenarios. Jimmie, far from being the employee of the month, often gets swept up in the madness of these calls, responding with just as much hysteria as the callers themselves.
Calls May be Recorded… further cements Katharina Volckmer as a comic writer. She has a remarkable ability to tread the line between audacity and brilliance. Refreshingly, she isn’t afraid to be provocative with her jokes. But unlike some writers who settle for low-hanging fruit, Volckmer’s humour aims spectacularly high. Sometimes they miss, sometimes they get lost entirely, but she never falters in her pursuit. If this doesn’t sell it to you, I think she may be the only writer working today for whom the word “scatological” makes an appearance on her novel’s blurb.
Calls May be Recorded for Training and Monitoring Purposes by Katharina Volckmer is out now (The Indigo Press, £12.99). You can buy it from the Big Issue shop on bookshop.org, which helps to support Big Issue and independent bookshops.
Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. Big Issue exists to give homeless and marginalised people the opportunity to earn an income. To support our work buy a copy of the magazine or get the app from the App Store or Google Play.
