Literary Arts & Publishing

Hawai‘i’s literary arts and publishing community includes writers, poets, storytellers, editors, illustrators, publishers, journals, festivals and literary organizations that help share stories from Hawai‘i and across the Pacific.

This sector supports creative expression, cultural knowledge, local publishing and opportunities for writers and artists to reach readers in Hawai‘i and beyond.

Literary Arts & Publishing in Hawai‘i

Hawai‘i’s literary arts and publishing ecosystem includes independent publishers, authors, editors, literary festivals, journals, writing programs and professional associations.

Local resources include:

Hawaii Book & Music Festival Logo

Hawaiʻi Book Publishers Association – A nonprofit organization that promotes book publishing in Hawai‘i and sponsors the Ka Palapala Po‘okela Awards, which recognize excellence in Hawai‘i book publishing.

Hawaiʻi Book and Music Festival – An annual event that brings together authors, artists, publishers, musicians and readers through panels, presentations and public programming.

ʻŌiwi: A Native Hawaiian Journal – the only publication staffed by Native Hawaiians, featuring strictly Native Hawaiian writers.

Role of the Creative Industries Division

The Creative Industries Division supports Hawai‘i’s creative economy through programs, partnerships and initiatives that strengthen local talent, business development and creative industry growth.

For literary artists and storytellers, this includes support through programs such as Creative Lab Hawai‘i, which helps creative entrepreneurs develop content, build industry relationships and prepare projects for broader markets.

*By the Numbers – 2024

  • 1,467 – Jobs in Hawai‘i’s publishing and information industry group
  • $75,498 – Average annual earnings for publishing and information jobs
  • 30.1% – Share of publishing and information jobs represented by newspaper publishing
  • 240 – Jobs in web search portals and all other information services
  • 1.8% – Average annual job growth for web search portals and all other information services from 2014 to 2024

*Source – Hawai‘i’s Creative Industries Update Report 2026, Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.