[Photos] A Delightful Night of Poetry: Nasiba Babale’s ‘Pickled Moments’ Debut in Abuja

On 7th September 2024, the literary scene in Abuja was lit with excitement as Nasiba Babale made her debut poetry reading, captivating the audience with her first published full-length work, Pickled Moments. Known for her musings on Facebook and her work as the Creative Director of Poetic Wednesdays, a thriving online poetry community with a strong presence in Kano, Nasiba is becoming a voice to reckon with in Northern Nigeria’s literary space, where there has always a call for more female creative voices.

The event which was co-organised by Poetic Wednesdays and Konya Shamsrumi (KSR) was held at Rovingheights Bookstore in Garki, Abuja, and moderated by Richard Ali, KSR’s Creative Lead, who is also the CEO of Tigray Coffee, and a renowned poet in his own right. The evening blended insightful conversation with the allure of good poetry. Richard Ali praised Pickled Moments, describing it as “a fresh voice in contemporary poetry.” As part of the KSR collective that published the book, he was able to pick topical issues and continue an engagement with the author which had begun in a previous KSR virtual reading with Nasiba and Ismail Bala, whose book Ivory Night was also recently published by KSR.

Nasiba’s readings, drawn from personal reflections and contemporary themes, held the audience in rapt attention. Among those in attendance were some of Abuja’s prominent literary figures, including the critic Paul Liam, poets Kabura Zakama and Chiedu Ezeanah, fabric designer Star Zahra, and Salim Yunusa, co-chair of the Kano International Poetry Festival and immediate past Creative Director of Poetry Wednesdays. The night culminated in a lively Q&A session, followed by an autograph signing.

The event celebrated Nasiba’s work and showed the power of poetry to bring together a vibrant community of creatives.

Pickled Moments is available in bookstores across Abuja and can also be ordered via email at konya.shamsrumi@gmail.com.

[Slideshow]

Nasiba Babale’s Pickled Moments (published by Konya Shamsrumi)
Browsing the bookshelves
Pre-session convos
Pre-session convos, Star Zahra and Kabura Zakama
Pre-session convos
Nasiba
Nasiba Babale
Salim Yunusa
The Poet of Light
Richard Ali and Pickled Moments
Richard Ali
Pre-session
The lover of bazzazegiya
Session
Session
Nasiba + Richard Ali
Session
Session
Intense lines
Session
Session
Session
Session
Questions
Reading
Session
Questions
Session
Nasiba
Richard
Audience
A pickled moment
Slim Salim
M. I. Dikko
Paul Liam
Nasiba
Ra
For the love of poetry. . .
Chiedu Ezeanah.

[Order]

Pickled Moments by Nasiba Babale

₦5,000.00

Pickled Moments is a debut poetry collection of Nasiba Babale, capturing the essence of love, loss, and the human condition against the backdrop of cultural and political turmoil. Myriad inspirations shape her verse, offering a deeply personal and evocative journey through memory and emotion.

Category: New Releases (Pre-Order)