Abazareth is formed from two words: Aba and Zareth, short for Nazareth.
It means a city often doubted, but from which beautiful things flow in abundance. A place from which, among other wonders, extraordinary minds emerge and begin to engrave their names in the literary world.
Here’s a very short story.
Flashback: 2019
A lady I was friends with on Facebook invited me to a poetry reading one Saturday at a place she called Aba Poetry Club. She gave me the address. I didn’t have much planned for that day, and besides, it was a chance to see a fine woman. So why not?
But what I encountered that day was nothing I could have expected.
I was completely mesmerized.
This was a small gathering of people who stirred a deep sense of admiration in me. Their mastery of language, the fervor of their spirits, the passion in their hearts—it was stunning. In that space, ordinary words became extraordinary. Language became more aesthetically pleasing. It felt like I had been hit with a spell from Dumbledore’s own wand; I was pleasantly paralyzed with wonder.
That’s also where I met two others who would later become friends.
We met during subsequent poetry readings. They were true wordsmiths.
In the years that followed, they began to host annual literary festivals right here in Aba. I never attended, for reasons I still can’t explain when I think about it now.
But I’ve always remembered what they called it. Opas Fedas. An intentional twist on the phrase “hope has feathers.”
Because they believed in goodness, just like I do.
That is why it stayed with me. Why I carried that mantra through the years when life consistently handed me the worst sides of the dice. It reminded me of happy endings. And for that reason, I kept walking. One day at a time. I kept pushing to see how far I could go.
Every year, the festival became a stage where talent flourished. Music. Poetry. Drama. Story readings. And so much more. From all I heard, it was always brilliant.
Then came the Aba Storytelling Hangout. Another beautiful thing they pioneered. The literary festival and the hangout were paused for a while. Life happened. But the hangout is back.
And it’s happening on the 29th of June.
This edition is themed around parenting. A gathering where we get to spread out our thoughts on the metaphorical picnic mats of our lives and talk about what it means to be a good or bad parent. Where we think our parents went wrong. What they did right. And what we hope never to repeat when our own time comes.
The pictures below are from previous hangouts.
Of course, many of you reading this cannot attend. You’re far away. But I’m writing this anyway, so it’s on record:
Aba, a city in Abia State, Nigeria, is a land flowing with creative milk and honey. A Canaan of brilliance. It births gifted minds. It nurtures literary talent. It raises people whose hands are graced.
If you can come, you will be welcomed. Open arms. Smiling faces. A community of kindred spirits.
Aba!
Register here: http://tiny.cc/Abastorytellinghangout
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