CALLS MAY BE RECORDED FOR TRAINING AND MONITORING PURPOSES by Katharina Volckmer

As any cash strapped uni student can attest, corporate call centres are where young souls go to burn. I lost count of the horror stories I heard back in the day. It’s a bit surprising, then, how few novels mine them for the existential literary gold they foment. I dare say Katharina Volckmer has done her time in one of these purgatorial cesspools, because Calls May Be Recorded… is knowing and insightful. It’s also very, very funny.

Jimmie is a young German drama school wannabe, fresh out of his job as a mourner for hire at a local funereal parlour. Like many expats in London, he’s landed at a call centre - this one for high end holidaymakers - where he fields complaints. Each call is grotesque in its hilarity and pettiness. They’re set pieces, sure, but by God did I laugh. And, of course, there’s office scandal. Jimmie wants to shag Simon, his boss, but settles for bathroom trysts with his married slob of a colleague, Daniel.

Much like in her debut, The Appointment, Volckmer uses an extremely relatable experience for a perceptive critique of class, nationality, sexuality and the nature of work itself. A thoughtful blast!

Calls May Be Recorded For Training and Monitoring Purposes by Katharina Volckmer
Indigo Press, 2025
168 pages