Goldsmiths Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 9 (2021) Winner
Isabel Waidner
イザベル・ウェイドナー
Isabel Waidner
Profile
- Gender
- Unknown
- Born
- 1974-02-14 （Black Forest region, Germany）
- Nationality
- German, British
- Languages
- English, German
- Residence History
- Germany (Black Forest; lived in Frankfurt) → London, England (East London)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Cultural theorist, Editor, Academic / Lecturer
- Active Years
- 2002-
- Affiliations
- Queen Mary University of London (School of English and Drama)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Roehampton | — | Creative Writing / English | PhD | — | United Kingdom |
University of Roehampton
Creative Writing / English
Degree:
PhD
Country:
United Kingdom
Doctoral thesis titled "Experimental fiction, transliteracy, and 'Gaudy Bauble': towards a queer avant-garde poetics".
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | International Literature Award (Internationaler Literaturpreis) | Gaudy Bauble (German translation) | — | Haus der Kulturen der Welt / Internationaler Literaturpreis | Winner |
| 2021 | Goldsmiths Prize | Sterling Karat Gold | — | Goldsmiths Prize committee | Winner |
| 2018 | Republic of Consciousness Prize | Gaudy Bauble | — | Republic of Consciousness Prize | Shortlisted |
| 2019 | Goldsmiths Prize (shortlist) | We Are Made of Diamond Stuff | — | Goldsmiths Prize committee | Shortlisted |
| 2020 | Republic of Consciousness Prize | We Are Made of Diamond Stuff | — | Republic of Consciousness Prize | Shortlisted |
| 2022 | Republic of Consciousness Prize | Sterling Karat Gold | — | Republic of Consciousness Prize | Shortlisted |
| 2022 | Orwell Prize for Political Fiction (shortlist) | Sterling Karat Gold | — | The Orwell Prize | Shortlisted |
International Literature Award (Internationaler Literaturpreis)
2020
Work:
Gaudy Bauble (German translation)
Organization:
Haus der Kulturen der Welt / Internationaler Literaturpreis
Result:
Winner
Goldsmiths Prize
2021
Work:
Sterling Karat Gold
Organization:
Goldsmiths Prize committee
Result:
Winner
Republic of Consciousness Prize
2018
Work:
Gaudy Bauble
Organization:
Republic of Consciousness Prize
Result:
Shortlisted
Goldsmiths Prize (shortlist)
2019
Work:
We Are Made of Diamond Stuff
Organization:
Goldsmiths Prize committee
Result:
Shortlisted
Republic of Consciousness Prize
2020
Work:
We Are Made of Diamond Stuff
Organization:
Republic of Consciousness Prize
Result:
Shortlisted
Republic of Consciousness Prize
2022
Work:
Sterling Karat Gold
Organization:
Republic of Consciousness Prize
Result:
Shortlisted
Orwell Prize for Political Fiction (shortlist)
2022
Work:
Sterling Karat Gold
Organization:
The Orwell Prize
Result:
Shortlisted
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Gaudy Bauble
2017 Novel (experimental fiction)An experimental work employing avant-garde techniques, addressing queer perspectives and working-class experience while challenging conventional narrative forms. The German translation won an international literature award.
Queer theoryWorking-class experienceExperimental narrative form
Translations
- German translation by Ann Cotten
We Are Made of Diamond Stuff
2019 Novel (experimental/avant-garde)An experimental novel exploring working-class queer lives and memory, challenging traditional novelistic forms; shortlisted for several prizes.
MemoryClassQueer identity
Sterling Karat Gold
2021 Novel (experimental)A novel combining avant-garde narration with political themes, addressing British nationalism, class, and trans/queer experiences; winner of the Goldsmiths Prize.
NationalismClassTrans and queer experience
Corey Fah Does Social Mobility
2023 NovelA recent novel focusing on social mobility, class issues, and queer perspectives; continues the author's thematic concerns with a fresh narrative approach.
Social mobilityClassQueer
Bibliography
- Gaudy Bauble. Dostoyevsky Wannabe. 2017. ISBN 9781999924522
- Liberating the Canon: an Anthology of Innovative Literature (ed.). Dostoyevsky Wannabe Experimental. 2018. ISBN 9781999924508
- We Are Made of Diamond Stuff. Dostoyevsky Wannabe. 2019. ISBN 9781999924539
- Sterling Karat Gold. Peninsula Press. 2021. ISBN 9781913512040
- Corey Fah Does Social Mobility. Hamish Hamilton / Penguin. 2023. ISBN 9780241632536
Translations of Works
- German translation of Gaudy Bauble by Ann Cotten
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Experimental, avant-garde proseFragmented and non-linear narrationPolyphonic and theory-informed writing
- Recurring Motifs
- ClassQueer/trans experiencesCritiques of nationality and nationalism
Legacy
Through experimental avant-garde methods, Waidner has brought working-class and queer/trans perspectives into contemporary English literature, expanding forms of expression and critical debate. Recognized widely through major awards such as the Goldsmiths Prize.
Quotes
-
"The British novel tends to reproduce white, middle-class values and aesthetics."
Source: Interview / New Statesman (excerpt) (2021)
Trivia
- Publicly identifies as non-binary.
- Co-founder of the ICA event series 'Queers Read This'.
- Performed with the band Klang between 2002 and 2004.
- Teaches at Queen Mary University of London.