In this episode, we talk with Julian Zabalbeascoa about his debut novel, What We Tried to Bury Grows Here, a haunting exploration of memory, silence, and the lingering wounds of the Spanish Civil War. Julian reflects on how landscapes, both familiar and foreign, shape his characters and his storytelling. He shares the real-life events and family history that inspired the book, including stories passed down about the Basque region and the war’s intergenerational shadows.
We discuss the novel’s moral complexities, its shifting points of view, and the challenge of portraying the quiet violences that persist long after a conflict ends. We also get a behind-the-scenes look at working with independent publisher Two Dollar Radio, from the editorial process to the deep collaboration that shaped the book’s final form. Throughout, he speaks candidly about the responsibility of writing historical fiction and the delicate balance between truth, invention, and empathy.
