UH Press Publishes Open-Access Hawaiian Language Journal

The University of Hawai‘i Press now publishes “Palapala: a Journal for Hawaiian Language and Literature,” a new, open-access resource for Hawaiian scholars.

The entirety of Palapala volume 1, issue 1, which includes contemporary research in both Hawaiian and English, is available online.

“We are honored to offer, through a collaboration with the UH library and the support of the university, an online journal of such scholarly importance to Hawai‘i,” said Joel Cosseboom, UH Press interim director.

“Palapala” joins UH Press’s extensive list of Hawaiian studies titles, including “The Hawaiian Journal of History,” “Kanaka ‘Ōiwi Methodologies” and the “Hawaiian Dictionary.”

It is the first peer-reviewed Hawaiian language journal to be published exclusively online.

“In spite of a vast and complex body of literature written in Hawaiian and a growing number of speakers, there has not been, until now, an academic journal dedicated to either the study of the language or the literature produced in it,” said Palapala Editor Jeffrey “Kapali” Lyon of the UH Mānoa Department of Religion.

“Palapala is intended to fill that gap as a peer-reviewed journal that allows scholars of Hawaiian from around the globe to present the results of their research through a centralized, scholarly archive dedicated to cherishing, preserving and advancing our knowledge of the native language of Hawaiʻi Nei,” Lyon said.

The inaugural issue also features reprints from the Hawaiian alphabet, first published in 1822, and an anonymous 1857 account about translating the Bible into Hawaiian.

“We are excited to publish the first issue of ‘Palapala,’” said Pamela Wilson, UH Press journals manager. “This journal truly aligns with our mission to be a Native Hawaiian place of learning and an indigenous-serving institution.”

“Palapala” receives support from UH Press and the following departments: College of Arts and Humanities, UH Mānoa; Hawaiʻinuiākea School of Hawaiian Knowledge, UH Mānoa; College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature, UH Mānoa; and Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani, College of Hawaiian Language, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo.

The journal’s editorial board includes UH faculty members Joseph “Keola” Donaghy, ku‘ualoha ho‘omanawanui and Hiapokeikikāne K. Perreira, as well as ʻŌiwi Parker Jones of the University of Oxford.

UH Mānoa graduate student Jane Au will serve as managing editor for the 2018 volume, and UH alumna Keiko “Kiele” Gonzalez will continue as the journal’s copyeditor.

“Palapala” submissions guidelines, print requests and more details may be found online.

About UH Press
The University of Hawai‘i Press supports the mission of the university through the publication of books and journals of exceptional merit. It strives to advance knowledge through the dissemination of scholarship—new information, interpretations, methods of analysis—with a primary focus on Asian, Pacific, Hawaiian, Asian American and global studies. It also serves the public interest by providing high-quality books and resource materials of educational value on topics related to Hawai‘i’s people, culture and natural environment. Through its publications the Press seeks to stimulate public debate and educate both within and outside the classroom.