Announcements
Bishop Museum Press Announces Reprinting of Keaomelemele
# Bishop Museum Press Announces Reprinting of Keaomelemele
Reprinting made possible with support from Kamehameha Publishing, a division of Kamehameha Schools
*Honolulu, Hawaiʻi — Bishop Museum Press, a department of Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, announces that after being out of print for several years, Keaomelemele* is once again available. Twenty years after the initial publication of this edition, the book has been reprinted with the financial and logistical support of Kamehameha Publishing, a division of Kamehameha Schools. The title is the first to be produced in an ongoing partnership with Kamehameha Publishing.
The story of Keaomelemele, "the bold and magical girl of the rarified atmosphere," was first published by master Hawaiian storyteller Moses Manu in 1884 and 1885, in 31 installments of the Hawaiian-language newspaper, Ka Nupepa Kuokoa.
This presentation of Keaomelemele—with the Hawaiian text and an English translation of Manu's work—was initiated by beloved Bishop Museum kupuna Patience Namaka Bacon. Her mother, the prolific Hawaiian scholar Mary Kawena Pukui, who had begun the translation work during her time at Bishop Museum, imbued Bacon with a love of and appreciation for Manu's version of the tale.
Hawaiian-language scholar Puakea Nogelmeier edited the volume, working closely with Bacon and a working group consisting of D. Nakila Steele, Sahoa Fukushima, and Betty Lou Kam. Kuualoha Hoomanawanui contributed a biographical sketch of Manu, and Betty Lou Kam wrote one for Mrs. Pukui. John Thomas arranged the contents into a book; Carol Colbath designed the cover; and Maile Kāʻai created illustrations for the book. The bilingual title was originally published in 2002, with support from D. Nakila Steele and Bishop Museum's Native Hawaiian Culture and Arts Program (NHCAP).
Keaomelemele's reprinting is timely, as the publication is highly requested by Hawaiian language audiences and is of great use to learners. For this reason, Bishop Museum Press and Kamehameha Publishing chose to prioritize this title in their collaboration efforts.
"Keaomelemele is an educational resource and a delightful read in both languages," said Hawaiian language expert and the book's editor, Puakea Nogelmeier. "A unique account by Moses Manu, a renowned cultural and literary sage, Keaomelemele weaves legendary gems into a new lei of traditional literature. Mary Kawena Pukui's expertise made the translation clear and enjoyable. A fine bilingual resource."
Copies of Keaomelemele can be purchased at BishopMuseumPress.org or the Shop Pacifica store on the Museum's campus.
About Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History
Bishop Museum’s mission is to inspire our community and visitors through the exploration, celebration, and perpetuation of the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific. The Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in memory of his wife Bernice Pauahi Bishop, a royal descendant of King Kamehameha I. Today, the Museum thrives as an educational center for the community and is widely regarded as the world’s premier institution for Hawaiian and Pacific content.
Bishop Museum’s vast collections of more than 25 million objects and specimens represent nine disciplines and include more than 22 million biological specimens, over 2 million cultural objects, 115,000 historical publications, and 1 million photographs, films, works of art, audio recordings, and manuscripts. These collections tell the stories of the cultures and biodiversity of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific as well as the proud legacy of scholarly research spanning 130 years.
Bishop Museum proudly serves more than 200,000 visitors each year, including 20,000 children on school visits. Guests are encouraged to pre-plan their trip to #HawaiisMuseum with its free digital guide, available through Bloomberg Connects.
To learn more about the Museum’s research, collections, exhibits, and programs, visit BishopMuseum.org, follow @BishopMuseum on Facebook and Instagram, visit Bishop Museum’s YouTube channel, or call (808) 847-3511. Bishop Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Bishop Museum is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, and welcomes applicants from the military, veterans, and those with disabilities. Learn about careers at Bishop Museum at BishopMuseum.org/Careers and on its LinkedIn page.
Bishop Museum Press is Hawaiʻi’s oldest book publisher and one of the first scholarly publishers in the Western Hemisphere, and has published over 1,200 titles and distributed over 1 million books in 72 countries worldwide. Bishop Museum hosts a restaurant and gift shop on campus, Tūtū’s Place by Highway Inn and Shop Pacifica by Nā Mea Hawaiʻi.