New Asian Studies Books – University of Hawaiʻi Press AAS 2026 Selection

University of Hawaiʻi Press is pleased to present a curated selection of titles for the Association for Asian Studies (AAS) Annual Conference.

Our AAS 2026 featured books and journals reflect the breadth and depth of contemporary Asian Studies research. These titles engage topics including colonialism and empire, intellectual history, cultural production, religion, and political life, offering new perspectives grounded in archival research, ethnography, and interdisciplinary analysis.

Award-Winning Titles at AAS 2026

University of Hawaiʻi Press is honored to celebrate two award-winning titles recognized by the Association for Asian Studies in 2026 for their outstanding scholarly contributions.

Even in the Rain: Uyghur Music in Modern China by Chuen-Fung Wong is the winner of the E. Gene Smith Inner Asia Book Prize, which recognizes exceptional and innovative research on Inner Asia. This book examines Uyghur musical life in contemporary China, revealing how musicians navigate cultural identity, artistic practice, and political pressure. Through ethnographic insight and musical analysis, Wong demonstrates how music functions as a powerful site of expression, memory, and resilience.

Epistemology of the Past: Texts, History, and Intellectuals of Cambodia, 1855–1970 by Theara Thun received an Honorable Mention for the Harry J. Benda Prize, awarded annually to an outstanding first book in Southeast Asian studies. This landmark study explores the development of historical knowledge in Cambodia by centering the intellectuals, texts, and scholarly practices that shaped understandings of the past during a period of colonialism, nationalism, and political transformation.

Explore Our New Asian Studies Titles & Journals

In addition to these prize-winning books, University of Hawaiʻi Press’s AAS 2026 featured titles and journals highlight recent and notable publications across Asian Studies and related fields. These works showcase cutting-edge research and diverse methodological approaches that speak to key debates shaping the discipline today.

To view the complete list of University of Hawaiʻi Press titles available for AAS 2026, please scroll to the bottom of this page, where you’ll find a link to our full conference selection in one place.

Receive 30% off with code AAS2026 through May 31, 2026. Visit us at Booth 325–327 in Vancouver or shop online.

BOOKS

JOURNALS

Journals: Chinese Studies International, Journal of Burma Studies, Oceanic Linguistics + more

Journal of Burma Studies 28-2 cover

Journal of Burma Studies

Special Issue: PopMyanmar

Volume 28, Number 2 (2024)

The Special issue is introduced by editor Jane Ferguson who states:

Given the tremendous, enduring Burmese interest in—and affection for—local and transnational popular culture, The Journal of Burma Studies is proud to present this special issue: PopMyanmar. Various platforms for popular culture distribution, from print media to music to the internet, are embedded in everyday practices. Pop culture’s modes and meanings of consumption are constantly refashioned through history, taste, and caprice. Yet it is not free for all: these artifacts are still beholden to the political economy at large. Popular culture, as an essential part of modern society’s mainstream, is thus a reflection of its dominant values. As a site for cultural contestation, pop culture can influence imaginings for new political futures.

Find this introduction, articles and more at Project MUSE.

Oceanic Liguistics 63-2 cover