Agustina Bazterrica on Culture, Craft, and Confronting Violence Through Fiction

Jen Eastwood

20 Nov 2025 — 2 min read

In the Season 2 finale we explore how structure, intention, and cultural context shape unforgettable horror.

What a banger of an interview to end the season on. I am not exaggerating when I say that I still think about Tender is The Flesh almost every day, nearly a year after I finished reading it. It is one of the greatest works of literary fiction/horror of all time in my opinion, so when Agustina Bazterrica agreed to join me on the podcast, I made sure not to waste a single second of our time together to make the most of the session.

And what a session it was.

This conversation didn’t just stay with me...it fundamentally changed how I read and experience books.

Agustina is exacting in her work. She operates with scalpel-like precision leaving nothing to chance. Every single word is deeply considered and exists to build the world of the story.

Together, we explore the cultural landscape of Argentina and how violence, patriarchy, and political history shape Agustina’s work. She walks me through her writing process and the structural precision behind her novels: the scaffolding, the silences, and the emotional engineering that make her fiction so unforgettable.

We talk about the importance of research, the responsibility of writing violence ethically, and the role literature can play in understanding societal cruelty. Agustina also shares her thoughts on reader engagement, the challenges of being a writer in a volatile world, and why books still hold transformative power.

This episode slowed me down. It taught me to look at craft with more intention. It made me a better reader.

If you’re interested in literary horror, cultural critique, or the deeper mechanics of storytelling, this finale is for you.

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Thank you all for being with me throughout this season. I hope you've enjoyed listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it. I'll be taking a wee break before Season 3 because I swore to myself I would finish the first draft of my novel!! I am giving myself three months to get it done. There will be a wee bonus episode in between seasons though so stay tuned for that.

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