Our Thriving Literary Scene

With this issue, we’re launching the inaugural HONOLULU Book Awards. Our magazine has long championed Hawai‘i’s writers and books, but we’ve never formally honored the year’s best writing. It’s time. Hawai‘i writers are publishing all kinds of books and being recognized nationally. Whether in fiction, nonfiction or poetry, the stories are rich and reflective of who we are and how we live. What’s also heartening is that while many of these authors are seasoned writers, there are also younger novelists emerging with bold, unique works.

The awards would not be possible without our contributing editor, Don Wallace. He founded and edits The Hawai‘i Review of Books (hawaiireviewofbooks.com), known as THROB. He writes about books with authority, drawing from a deep well of knowledge. He is a voracious and astute reader, but also truly committed to supporting local authors and our literary scene. This is the spirit behind these awards.

When we informed the winners, we weren’t sure what kind of reaction we would receive. Across the board, their responses were gracious. And while they appreciate being acknowledged for their work, they more so hoped the awards would encourage our community of authors to keep writing and telling stories.

Here’s what Jasmin ‘Iolani Hakes, whose book Hula won Book of the Year About Hawai‘i, wrote after being told of her award:

“I have a niece who is graduating from [Kamehameha Schools] this spring that used to dream of becoming a writer. … As children often do, she eventually got interested in other things, but I firmly believe that part of that fade, in her case, was due to the fact that there was nothing to encourage her to continue. Hawai‘i has expanded leaps and bounds as far as performative arts, but at least when I was growing up, there was little in regard to literary ones. …

 

All this to say: I dare say I am even more excited of the fact of these awards than the enormous honor of winning one. Our Islands and culture and history and people and traditions have so much richness to offer in regard to storytelling, and the fact that we have this growing community of amazing writers and titles will only encourage more to strive for that I think. Awards like this bring a visibility that goes beyond those of us in the literary world and ripple outward in numerous ways, so I hope to do all I can to support everything you’re doing.”

A Hui Hou, John Alves

Photo: Courtesy of Jeff Alves

Sadly, HONOLULU recently lost a member of its longtime family. Former publisher John Alves passed away on Jan. 20 at age 79. I personally didn’t know John. His tenure as HONOLULU publisher ran from 1994 to 2002. He also served as a longtime president of PacificBasin Communications (now known as aio Media Group), our parent company.

Scott Schumaker, who served as HONOLULU publisher and PacBasin president after John, describes him as having a “tremendous impact” on HONOLULU as well as in the community, pointing to the annual Hale ‘Aina Awards, which honors Hawai‘i’s top restaurants and chefs. “He greatly elevated the Hale ‘Aina Awards celebration from a somewhat sleepy event at Diamond Head Theatre to the gala it has become today,” Scott says. “He even had Doc Severinsen and his band perform one year.”

Tom Mullen, president and chief operating officer at the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau, said John also was instrumental in starting up the Hale ‘Aina ‘Ohana, now called the Hawai‘i Culinary Education Foundation. “HCEF has been in existence for 25 years and has impacted over 70,000 students and hundreds of chefs in Hawai‘i,” he says. “John had an impact on a lot of people.”