Cheese! The smiley face we accept as a universal sign of happiness belies the twists and downturns of not-quite-everyday life. Through these witty, visceral short stories, Deryck Whittaker takes us on a bittersweet journey across the globe, introducing a set of characters at odds with themselves and the times.

In locations as disparate as Norway, Mali and Argentina, the jungle of the art world, the good are generally rewarded, while the boorish and greedy receive their comeuppance.

Sometimes cautionary, often hilarious, the stories may end (or begin) with murder, indulge in love and lust, or describe in exquisite detail moments of apparent ordinariness. Throughout Cheese and Other Stories, Whittaker’s elegant wordplay and acute observations of the human condition are superb.