2017 Ka Palapala Po‘okela Awards: UH Press Nominees

June 23, 2017: This post has been updated with the results shown in bold.

Now in its 23rd year, the Ka Palapala Po‘okela Awards are presented by Hawai‘i Book Publishers Association to honor Hawai‘i’s finest books and their authors, illustrators, photographers, designers, and publishers. While previously given annually, HBPA has switched to a biennial schedule, and this year’s eligible titles have 2015 and 2016 copyright dates. The winners will be announced at the awards celebration scheduled for Thursday, June 22, 6 to 8:30 pm, at the ARTS at Marks Garage in downtown Honolulu; the event is free and open to the public.

University of Hawai‘i Press nominees include (listed alphabetically by author’s last name):

The Healers by Kimo Armitage (Excellence in Literature)

The Lives of Hawai‘i’s Dolphins and Whales: Natural History and Conservation by Robin W. Baird (Honorable Mention for Excellence in Natural Science)

Facing the Spears of Change: The Life and Legacy of John Papa ‘Ī‘ī by Marie Alohalani Brown (Winner of the Award of Excellence in Hawaiian Language, Culture & History)

Royal Hawaiian Featherwork: Nā Hulu Aliʻi by Leah Caldeira, Christina Hellmich, Adrienne L. Kaeppler, Betty Lou Kam, Roger G. Rose; copublished with Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (Excellence in Hawaiian Language, Culture & History; Winner of the Award of Excellence in Illustrative or Photographic Books)

Hawai‘i’s Animals Do the Most Amazing Things by Marion Coste, illustrated by Rena Ekmanis (Honorable Mention for Excellence in Children’s Literature)

Sunny Skies, Shady Characters: Cops, Killers, and Corruption in the Aloha State by James Dooley (Honorable Mention for Excellence in Nonfiction)

Hawai‘i’s Scenic Roads: Paving the Way for Tourism in the Islands by Dawn E. Duensing (Excellence in Nonfiction)

Picture Bride Stories by Barbara F. Kawakami (Excellence in Nonfiction)

Unearthing the Polynesian Past: Explorations and Adventures of an Island Archaeologist by Patrick Vinton Kirch (Excellence in Nonfiction)

Hawai‘i’s Kōlea: The Amazing Transpacific Life of the Pacific Golden-Plover by Oscar W. Johnson and Susan Scott (Winner of the Award of Excellence in Natural Science)

Murder Frames the Scene by Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl (Winner of the Award of Excellence in Literature)

Protea: A Guide to Cultivated Species and Varieties by Lewis J. Matthews (Excellence in Natural Science)

For a Song by Rodney Morales (Excellence in Literature)

Plants for the Tropical Xeriscape: A Gardener’s Guide by Fred D. Rauch and Paul R. Weissich (Excellence in Natural Science)

Bayonets in Paradise: Martial Law in Hawai‘i during World War II by Harry N. Scheiber and Jane L. Scheiber (Excellence in Nonfiction)

Curve of the Hook: An Archaeologist in Polynesia by Yosihiko Sinoto with Hiroshi Aramata; edited by Frank Stewart; translated by Frank Stewart and Madoka Nagadō (Winner of the Award of Excellence in Nonfiction)

A Sky Wonderful with Stars: 50 Years of Modern Astronomy on Maunakea by Michael J. West (Excellence in Illustrative or Photographic Books and designer Mardee Melton for Excellence in Design)

For a complete list of this year’s nominated titles, see the HBPA website.

Best wishes to each of our nominees!