Essays, biographies, and fiction: the literary map for understanding what's happening amid Argentina's polarization

In an election year and a climate of growing ideological tensions, the Argentine publishing industry is positioning itself as a central player in public debate . With a rich offering of titles ranging from political essays and biographies to novels and collective reflections, books not only seek readers but also become tools for analysis and reflection. These releases transcend the literary to establish themselves at the heart of social discourse , challenging perspectives and the prevailing narratives of a society in constant transformation.

Among the new releases are works that span the entire ideological spectrum, reflecting the diversity and polarization of the national political agenda. From biographies such as Pablo de León's The Prince , which examines the figure of Miguel Ángel Pichetto, to essays such as Valeria Di Croce's The Ark of Milei , which analyzes the constellation of actors behind the libertarian phenomenon, the Argentine literary scene is configured as a map of the complex political present . In parallel, fiction works such as Gabriela Cerruti's The Poison of Power and books of historical reflection such as Pacho O'Donnell's Argentine DNA complement an offering that captures the tension and richness of a country in the midst of social and cultural reconfiguration.

In order to analyze the biography of Miguel Ángel Picheto, a national representative for the province of Buenos Aires, through the lens of Niccolò Machiavelli's work, author Pablo de León published El Príncipe. Una ficción de Miguel Ángel Picheto (Planeta), which paints a portrait of one of the most influential politicians in recent Argentine history.

For their part, authors declaredly closer to Kirchnerism also add their works: The Milei Symptom. Notes for a Failed Argentina , by historian Hernán Brienza and Driving Capital: State or Market, a False Dichotomy , by economist and former public servant Delfina Rossi .

Martínez de Hoz: The Civilian Chief of the Military Dictatorship (Ediciones Continente), by Julián Zícari , seeks to analyze not only the figure of Martínez de Hoz and his economic program but also to review the speeches of the top leaders of the dictatorship captured in interviews, statements in the press, his memoirs and speeches.

Zoon Politikona: Identity, Struggle, and Militancy , by Gabriela Ivy, published by Puntos suspensivos ediciones. This is the author's first book and invites us to explore, through her own experience, the formation of a queer, transvestite identity in the making, one that embraces drag in the context of 1990s neoliberalism, and how it is revived today.

Argentine DNA , by writer, historian, and psychoanalyst Pacho O'Donnell, offers a revisionist perspective on an official history marked by liberalism and posits that it permeated both political and economic leaders as well as the social imaginary.

There's also room for fiction: The Poison of Power , by former presidential spokesperson Gabriela Cerruti. After two years on the front lines of politics and journalism, Cerruti opts for narrative in her new novel, a political thriller set between the Casa Rosada and the presidential residence in Olivos.

One of the books generating the most interest is The Monk. The True Story of Santiago Caputo , by journalists Maia Jastreblansky and Manuel Jove . On January 26, 2024, the government officially appointed Santiago Caputo as a "presidential advisor." But by then, the young consultant was already much more than that. The book explores, among other questions, who this political communications expert is who, in record time, became the most enigmatic member of the "iron triangle" alongside the Milei brothers and how he amassed so much power without holding formal positions or being accountable to the public ethics law.

Journalists Maia Jastreblansky and Manuel Jove followed the trail of the enigmatic Caputo, from his childhood in Belgrano and his summers in Martindale, through his first steps alongside Jaime Durán Barba and Rodrigo Lugones at the consulting firm Move Group, to his present with an office in the Casa Rosada and an informal room christened the "Parravicini Room."

On the other hand, Jorge Fontevecchia published Milei vs. Fonteveccia: Logbook of the Emergence of an Extreme President (Planeta), an anthology of columns by the founder of Editorial Perfil and a compilation of texts that chronicle key moments in Milei's administration in real time.

From last year, but with a follow-up, Karina. The Sister. The Boss. The Sovereign (Sudamericana), by journalist Victoria De Masi, which explores the image projected by the President's sister.

Another new publication focusing on current politics is Ernesto Tenenbaum 's book, Milei: A History of the Present , published by Planeta last year. In it, Tenenbaum reconstructs the path Javier Milei took to become a political figure from a relatively unknown background.

Journalist Alejandro Bercovich is currently presenting El país que quieres los propietarios (The Country the Owners Want ) (Planeta), which presents a hypothesis about the unanimous support of Argentina's big capitalists for Milei, according to the author. It consists of six essays "surrounding a pending debate for our democracy."

Milei's Ark: How and with Whom Did He Build His Power? , by Valeria di Cruce , offers a guide to deciphering the constellation of intellectuals, influencers, recycled politicians, outsiders, and marginal figures who found a place under the president's wing. From this perspective, Javier Milei is not alone: ​​he is part of a broader network that goes beyond his figure and connects him to the new global right—parties, think tanks, foundations, tech moguls—who today seek more than just visibility.

This essay invites us to consider an Argentina reinventing itself amid crises and algorithms, where public debate increasingly takes place on digital platforms, and where what's new, perhaps, isn't as new as it seems. Because, as the author reminds us, "only what we've forgotten is new."

The Joy of Cruelty: Argentina in the Time of Milei, compiled by Francis Rosemberg , brings together analyses from diverse political, ethical, legal, psychological and philosophical perspectives in order to understand and develop tools to act and transform the reality in which we are immersed.

Former Kirchnerite official Guillermo Moreno is presenting his book Peronismo hoy (Peronism Today) . Moreno was convicted three times by the courts (in 2017 for using public funds to buy party favors bearing the inscription "Clarín Lies"; in 2022, for threats to the board of directors of Papel Prensa; and in 2024, for abuse of authority and destruction of public records at the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC),) but in this book he reviews the successes and failures of the decade of victory: a virtuous cycle that was followed, according to him, by a decline due to Macri's mismanagement, Cristina's erroneous decision alone to replace Alberto Fernández, his government lacking doctrine and direction, and a Justicialist Party intruded by electoral politics and social democracy.

Siglo XXI published a revised version of Volver a Keynes , written by the current governor of the province of Buenos Aires, Axel Kicillof . In this book, Kicillof offers a rigorous and updated reading of the British economist's thinking, exploring his contributions to commodities, money, capital, and labor. Far from a nostalgic perspective, he argues that Keynes's relevance is more necessary than ever in a global (and local) context where capitalism is once again showing signs of exhaustion.

Another new publication is the book by Juan Luis González , author of El loco , the first biography of Milei. This year he presents Las fuerzas del cielo. Secretos, confesiones y peligros de la primera presidencia messianica (The Forces of Heaven: Secrets, Confessions, and Dangers of the First Messianic Presidency ). “In El loco, I explained who Milei is. Las Fuerzas del Cielo completes that work and seeks to unite all the pieces of this social, political, and mystical puzzle. Because, in reality, the libertarian's political and economic project is merely a mask that hides the real Milei,” the author explained.

Finally, on a list that is still under construction, Left-Handed: Notes Against Resignation, Meekness, and Conformism, the first book by Myriam Bregman , in which the author reviews the history of the recovered factories movement, the trials against the genocide perpetrators, and the power of feminism to remind us why it is left-wing.

In a political landscape fraught with tension and uncertainty, books serve as a thermometer for the current climate and reflect the current situation. There are biographies, chronicles, essays, and even fiction that reveal the nerves of a society undergoing a restructuring. Thus, the battle for the narrative isn't just being fought in the media and on social media: it also plays out on the new releases tables.