Abbas Nazari
Abbas Nazari fled the Taliban in Afghanistan as a child, and was resettled in New Zealand after his family was rescued by the Tampa container ship in 2001, in an international story known as the Tampa Affair.
Since arriving in Aotearoa, Abbas and his family have thrived. In 2019, Abbas was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to the United States, where he graduated with a Master's in Security Studies from Georgetown University, Washington DC.
2022 festival session
A Warm Welcome, Festival Opening followed by Abbas Nazari – After the Tampa
In conversation with Paula Morris
We were thrilled to have Abbas Nazari as our guest for the opening event of the 2022 Marlborough Book Festival. Abbas was seven years old when his family fled the Taliban in Afghanistan, hoping to find a new home in Australia. The journey that followed, including a sinking fishing boat, heroic rescue by the Tampa container ship, and doors closed by the Australian Government, caught the world’s attention. More than 20 years after the Nazari family was resettled in New Zealand, Abbas is a prominent advocate for refugees, was a semi-finalist for the 2022 Young New Zealander of the Year, and author of the best-selling memoir 'After the Tampa'.