Hawai‘i Literature & Art
— Since 1978 —
"Only Scott Kikkawa can blend Chaucer with noir, throw Middle English in with Japanese and [Pidgin] in a rare look at postwar Honolulu through the eyes of a local."
The fourth installment of Hawaiʻi Noir novels featuring Frank "Sheik" Yoshikawa. When the evidence starts stacking up, what will Frank sacrifice to help a friend and fellow veteran suspected of murder?
"...a panoramic view of the islands, assembled out of character portraits displaying all of the subtleties, strengths, and formal mastery that the best short story collections have to offer."
On the Windward side of O‘ahu, change moves fast—developers buy up neighborhoods, locals move away, and families struggle to hold on to what’s left.
Blood Work and Other Stories (Bamboo Ridge Issue #127) by Donald A. Carreira Ching features seventeen stories about what we carry, what we inherit, and what we leave behind.
"These are works that ask not only where we are, but who we are and what it means to write, read, and remember in a time of shifting language and political erasure."
Issue #128 of Bamboo Ridge Journal of Hawaiʻi Literature and Arts edited by Naomi Shihab Nye and Cathy Song. Featuring short stories and poems from thirty-three writers.
"The voices of these writers are deep, insightful, imaginative, funny, provocative, political, thoughtful, and concerned."
Bamboo Ridge Issue #126 is a compilation of work by 37 writers that captures the complexity of life in Hawaiʻi with humor, resilience, and rich cultural narratives. Pieces overlap in unexpected ways, offering fresh perspectives alongside familiar voices. Highlighting the tension between tradition and modernity, the bittersweet effects of time, and the struggle to preserve cultural identity in a rapidly shifting world, Issue #126 immerses readers in themes that resonate widely.
"Full of wisdom and insights earned from a life of paying attention...”
Bamboo Ridge Issue #125 is a collection of historical poems by Wing Tek Lum. It imagines life in Honolulu Chinatown circa 1900 and gives voice to the forgotten pioneer generation of sojourners and settlers, detailing the trials and temptations of this bachelor society living far from their homeland—their hard work, their diversions, their challenges, and, even amidst the notorious plague and fire, their perseverance.
The audio recordings from this popular former radio show, a joint project between Bamboo Ridge Press and Hawaiʻi Public Radio, are available in a Best of Aloha Shorts playlist.
"A collection that goes beyond science-fiction and fantasy into a new realm of speculative work.."
Thoughtfully curated and arranged to amplify each piece within a larger reading experience, SNARING NEW SUNS is a special anthology that experiments with form and mixes genres to include stories and poetry of the supernatural, alternate reality, climate fiction, and more. Plus, art, graphic stories, nonfiction, and even a stage play.
"...theatre is a collaborative art. Many artists contribute to giving it life; a play is much more than words on a page."
FLOWERS OF HAWAI‘I (Bamboo Ridge: Journal of Hawai‘i Literature and Arts, Issue #121) features scripts and photos from four plays written and produced in the last dozen years that capture various aspects of Hawai‘i life and culture infused with Cataluna’s unique brand of humor and style.
We’re super stoked to congratulate Donald on this national recognition for Blood Work and Other Stories from the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses.
The annual Firecracker Awards celebrate independently published books and magazines that make a significant contribution to literary culture, as well as the publishers that bring important voices to readers.
Over the course of nearly 50 years Bamboo Ridge Press books have been sold and circulated across the islands and beyond. Fulfilling orders and coordinating distribution of over 100 issues can be a fulltime job!
We’ve recently partnered with Bess Press to help with this critical step in getting books out to readers. But don’t forget, BR Subscriptions are also still available!
We’re honored and excited that Mindy Pennybacker and Don Wallace will be guest editing the next anthology issue of Bamboo Ridge, Journal of Hawaiʻi Literature and Art scheduled to release in fall of 2027.
Send in your latest polished poetry or prose by July 15, 2026 (postmark date)
Note: We are only accepting mail-in submissions. See our guidelines linked below for more information.
Donald Carreira Ching shares insights and craft notes about each of the stories in his new collection Blood Work and Other Stories. “The Bones of Blood Work” will cover seventeen stories, over seventeen weeks! Click below to read about each story and here for some of the writing prompts that Donald shares.
Mahalo to amazing author Megan Kamalei Kakimoto for her recent article “Read Your Way Around Hawaii” in The New York Times. We deeply appreciate her support in sharing the books and literary voices of Hawaiʻi’s communities.
Scott Kikkawa is one of those unique authors we’d love the world to know more about! Click below to check out his books, or read this hilarious interview where Scott answers some questions on behalf of his main character.
