The Words That Come from Miriti: Abaetetuba's Literary Scene Between Tradition and Cultural Resistance

Introduction

In Abaetetuba, literature is born from the same place as miriti toys: from riverside wisdom, from the ancestral relationship with the forest, and from the need to tell stories in a land that was once called "faceless" . Internationally known as the "World Capital of Miriti Toys," this Pará city holds an intangible heritage that goes beyond craftsmanship – its literary voices, often artisanal and independent, build a rich, vibrant scene that is still little explored by the editorial mainstream.

This article is a dive into these waters. From roots firmly planted in caboclo culture to new authors circulating in national awards and peripheral literary gatherings, we trace an overview of Abaetetuba's literature, celebrating the strength of a production that resists and reinvents itself.

1. Roots and Tradition: The Foundation of a Literary Identity

Abaetetuba's literary history cannot be separated from its geography and its imaginary. Before it was a city, the region was an encounter of cultures: river dwellers, indigenous people, and migrants who shaped a unique worldview. The city's toponymy, which comes from Tupi and means "place of illustrious men" or "gathering of true men," already foreshadowed the strength of its people .

Although the organized literary scene gained strength in the 20th century with figures like Jorge Machado – author of works that rescue local history, such as "Mater Puríssima: Histórias da Festa de Conceição em Abaeté do Tocantins" –, the great intellectual reference that illuminates the region is the giant João de Jesus Paes Loureiro. Born in Belém, but with his work deeply set in the landscapes near Abaetetuba (like Ilha da Pacoca), Paes Loureiro is one of the greatest names in Amazonian literature, and his creative shadow is a constant reference for local authors .

Oral tradition and the "caboclo scene" – a term studied by researchers like Alberto Valter Vinagre Mendes in his doctoral research on the decline of the caboclo scene in Abaetetuba – were the cradle where local literature was gestated. The "fofoias" (typical boats) and times marked by the tides have ceased to be mere settings and have become living characters in the region's narratives .

2. The Contemporary Scene: The New Breath of the Amazonian Periphery

The research reveals an interesting movement: Abaetetuba does not have a large editorial market structure (the historic Alam Editora, for example, has had its CNPJ canceled ), but literary production flourishes in independence, in UFPA classrooms, and in cultural intervention projects. It is a literature born from the need to give face and voice to the city itself.

Pedro Augusto Baía: National Recognition

The greatest living exponent of Abaetetuba's new literature is undoubtedly Pedro Augusto Baía. At 37 years old, with a PhD in Psychology and a judicial analyst, Pedro broke regional barriers by winning the Sesc Literature Award 2022 in the Short Story category with the book "Corpos Benzidos em Metal Pesado" .

His work is a mosaic of contradictions. Instead of a folkloric and naive Amazon, Pedro Baía shows the open wound: violence against minorities (LGBTQIA+, Black, Indigenous), large forest fires, and, viscerally, the impact of heavy metal pollution from an industrial hub on the lives of river dwellers. He is the direct heir of the "artisanal literature" he saw in his childhood, but with an urban, political, and psychological perspective .

Poetry of Struggle and the Legacy of Cruz Lobato

While Pedro Baía dominates contemporary prose, poetry finds an echo in the anthology "Antologia Poética Abaetetuba" (Nobres Letras Publishing House, 2021), organized by Cruz Lobato. The work brings together poems and prose that seek to consolidate a "poetic legacy" for new generations, showing that, even in the digital age, the printed word is still an act of resistance and affection in the city .

Academic Voice and Cultural Research

The Federal University of Pará (UFPA) – Abaetetuba Campus functions as a breeding ground for new talents. Researchers like Camilla Dias de Freitas, author of the project "Escritores de uma Terra sem Face" (Writers of a Faceless Land) (2018), show that literary production is intrinsically linked to education. Her work, which resulted in the publication of a booklet of poems by EJA students, proves that local literature is being written in the peripheries and classrooms, not just in closed academic circles .

3. Themes and Works: The Aesthetics of the Urban Forest

Contemporary Abaetetuba literature can be defined by a specific concept: Amazonian realism. Unlike the jingoistic view of the untouched forest, new authors delve into the chaos of transition.

• Predominant Genres: The short story and lyrical poetry are the most common formats, perhaps due to the economy of resources or the oral tradition that still echoes in them.

• Central Themes:

  • The Body as Territory: In Pedro Baía's work, bodies are "blessed" and violated, whether by industry or prejudice .

  • Ecology and Devastation: Nature is not just a setting but an agent of the narrative. River pollution and deforestation are constant antagonists.

  • Religious Syncretism: The strength of the Círio de Nazaré, where miriti toys serve as ex-votos (offerings), appears as a backdrop for discussions about faith and cultural resistance .

  • Memory and Forgetting: Alberto Vinagre's research on the "decline of the caboclo scene" echoes in the literature: there is an attempt to record ways of life that are disappearing, such as the work of "tiradores de fofoias" (those who make fofoias).

Independent Production and Literary Gatherings

Despite the difficulty in cataloging active publishing houses (as many opt for independent publishing or for publishers from outside the region, like Nobres Letras), the scene thrives in alternative spaces. The MIRITONG (Miriti NGO) , in addition to preserving craftsmanship, has proven to be a meeting point for the city's cultural memory, serving as a potential stage for literary gatherings and slams that combine spoken poetry with the sound of the river.

Conclusion

Abaetetuba's literary scene is a reflection of the real Amazon: resilient, contradictory, and profoundly creative. While there may be a lack of large bookstores or mass-market publishers, there is an abundance of human raw material. The literature produced in the "Miriti Capital" is not found in the shelves of large printing houses in São Paulo; it is in the conversation circles at the market, in the academic research at UFPA, and in the independent pages of authors like Pedro Augusto Baía, who carry the city's name across the country.

Far from being a "faceless land," Abaetetuba reveals itself as a literary kaleidoscope where the tradition of wooden toys meets the weighty and urgent word of heavy metal.

Bibliographical References

• [1] LEIAGORA. Vencedores do ‘Prêmio Sesc de Literatura’ falam sobre obras e vivências em feira literária. Cuiabá, 16 Nov. 2023. 

• [2] CONSULTAS PLUS. Alam Editora Ltda - CNPJ de Abaetetuba/PA. 2022. 

• [3] SIGAA UFPA. Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: ALBERTO VALTER VINAGRE MENDES. 2022. 

• [4] URUAÚ-TAPERA. Arte, cultura e memória coletiva de Abaetetuba e ícone do Círio. 20 Oct. 2025. 

• [5] LEIAGORA. Vencedores do ‘Prêmio Sesc de Literatura’ falam sobre obras e vivências em feira literária. 2023. 

• [6] Portal de Periódicos UFRJ. Literatura regional, identidade e cultura: um diálogo entre a gente de Belém ‘de outrora’ e de ‘Abaeté do Tocantins’. 2019. 

• [7] Prefeitura Municipal de Abaetetuba. Abaetetuba encanta público na COP30 com imersão cultural. 19 Nov. 2025. 

• [8] UFPA – Campus Universitário de Abaetetuba. Escritores de uma terra sem face: o ensino e produção de poesia sobre o município de Abaetetuba. 2018. 

• [9] Rede Artesol. Abaetetuba – Pará (Capital Mundial do Brinquedo de Miriti). 2024. 

• [10] Livraria Leitura. Antologia Poética Abaetetuba - Cruz Lobato. Editora Nobres Letras, 2021.