As readers of this blog know, we highlight the talented creators of our AANHPI — Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander — community.

We are excited that our longtime friend, Brandi-Ann Uyemura, has a new book out this month! A lot has happened since we first featured her in 2022. She recently sat down to talk story and catch us up about her debut picture book, I am a Bon Dancer. 

Can you share a bit of your debut picture book, I am a Bon Dancer? Without giving away too much for those who haven’t read it yet, what is it about?

Sure! I am a Bon Dancer is about a little girl who hasn’t been to the Bon dance before, but has heard her grandfather talk about it. His excitement is contagious, and she feels excited, too, until she gets there and realizes everyone seems to know how to dance. She is afraid to make a mistake in the glow of the lanterns and with everyone looking at her, but she gains courage when she learns the meaning behind the dance.

What inspired you to write the book?

Oh this has been in my mind for a very long time. I used to go to Obon with my grandfather on the island of Kauaʻi as a kid. He loved to go, and I remember how excited he would get on that day. He would whistle as he got dressed. He had this hair oil that he would use to pat down the few hairs on his balding head. He was so cute.

He had a station wagon and he would take my cousins and me early. My grandma would be there helping in the kitchen. It was something we all looked forward to. And all the details from the lanterns, the ono food, and my grandfather’s joy stayed with me all these years and inspired me to write this book.

Such sweet memories! What characteristics do you love best about the young protagonist? About Grandpa Jo? Are they modeled after specific people?

I love that she is afraid and yet still tries to dance. I was also scared to dance, so I sat on the bench and watched my grandpa dance. She is who I wish I was as a kid. Grandpa Jo is based on my grandpa Wakamatsu. I was really close to him. Having said that, while the characters were created because of my relationship with my grandparents, they are very different from real life. My grandpa worked in the sugar cane fields, for example, not my grandmother.

What was your favorite part of writing your book?

I love writing, and I love coming up with the sensory details of Bon Odori itself. I also loved working with Watercress author Andrea Wang. That part was so inspiring and really pushed me to be a better writer. I learned so much from Andrea and am forever grateful for her mentoring me. She was super generous with her time in helping me get my manuscript in the best shape possible.

Hawai’i is blessed with a diverse population, in large part due to our sugar plantation history. Hard-working people from far away places as China, Portugal, Japan, Puerto Rico, the Korean peninsula, the Philippines, and Russia settled here, raising their families and contributing to what has become our unique local culture.

This is reflected in fifth-generation Japanese American Brandi-Ann Uyemura’s delightful debut picture book, I am a Bon Dancer.

Mahalo nui to the Evanston Public Library and the Blueberry Committee for awarding KAHO’OLAWE: THE TRUE STORY OF AN ISLAND AND HER PEOPLE a 2025 Changemakers Award! The story of the island and the people who love her will inspire readers everywhere. Kaho’olawe Aloha ʻĀina! Read about the award winners at the School Library Journal.

All proceeds benefit the Protect Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana. Mahalo nui to Carol Hinz and the team at Millbrook/Lerner!

Native Hawaiian journalist Hannah Kaʻiulani Colburn is a digital news producer at Hawaiʻi Public Radio and an in-demand freelancer for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ Ka Wai Ola O OHA. Many of her articles focus on the native community. Her wide-ranging interviews reveal the vibrant artistic community that’s thriving in Hawai’i. 

Today we talk story with Hannah about her writing life. 

Mahalo for speaking with us this morning! Let’s start in the Hawaiian way. Please share a bit about  your background and your ‘ohana.

My father is half Hawaiian, half Japanese; however, he was adopted as a child by the Coburn ʻohana – a large local family from Lāʻie. 

I was raised outside of Sacramento, California. I did not attend a traditional high school. Instead, I graduated through an independent study program, which is similar to being homeschooled. (Note: Hannah graduated from the University of Hawai’i journalism program.)

My mother has been one of my most important supporters. From the time I was young, she instilled in me to always work hard and get an education — those two things, no one can ever take away from you. She’s just always there for me whenever I need her and has always supported me 1,000%.

Also, I would not be able to write and work without my other half. He’s a big help when it comes to taking things off my plate so that I have the time to work on my stories. We also both share a huge love for our culture and Hawaiʻi. So he’s a great supporter of my overall work.

Mahalo for sharing this. How would you describe your job title and job description?

As a freelance writer, I have the flexibility to choose whether I take an assignment. Freelancing for Ka Wai Ola is always a pleasure!

A breakdown of the job is that I am asked to take on a story assignment and am given a deadline, usually between 1 and 2 weeks, to turn in a story for their monthly issues. A typical assignment will require me to speak with my subjects or sources, gather photos, and then write a story. 

Why did you become a writer? How long have you been doing this work?

I have always enjoyed storytelling and writing; it has always felt natural to me. In college when I was debating what to study, I found myself between English and Journalism and was encouraged by a professor in Los Angeles to study Journalism. After graduating from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in the fall of 2024, I kept up with freelancing whenever the opportunity arrived. It’s been over a year now since I’ve been working professionally as a writer in my field.

What do you like most about your job? What do you like the least?

Writing for Ka Wai Ola has been very special to me! I reached out to the paper as a student struggling in my capstone class at UH. Pua, the editor for KWO, responded and gave me the chance to write a story of my own for the paper, and since then, I have become one of KWO’s regular contributors. Working with Pua has been something I will always cherish. Besides being an amazing writer and editor, she has been someone who has mentored and advised me. She makes the process seamless and easy and has just always shown me aloha!

Something else I enjoy is being able to speak to other Hawaiians, hear their stories, and have the opportunity and trust to share them with others. It’s not easy to answer questions, especially for someone who is a stranger. You never know what they could gather, so I really try to take the time to connect with my subjects, their stories, and make them feel understood.

I have zero complaints doing this work!

For readers who might be interested in becoming freelance writers, what do your typical working hours look like? 

It all depends on the turnaround time from when I get an assignment to arranging talk story sessions. But for the most part, it is quick. I don’t like to sit on a story for too long, but I also don’t like feeling rushed. I prefer to work on a story for five to seven days. It gives me time to listen back to my interviews, transcribe them (I don’t like using AI transcribing tools), work out an initial draft, and then revise. Due to my other job, my role as a mom to a busy 18-month-old, I usually work on my stories after hours, early in the morning, or late into the night.

What’s your research process like for a typical article?

I like to spend a day before speaking with a subject to really do my research into who they are, what they’ve done, and what I’m going to be writing on. The research will usually continue as I’m writing a story.

Can you please share some examples that you believe show your best writing?

Yes! Here of some of my favorites:

• Leading a New Generation with Arts and Culture
• Wearing Tradition in the Kamehameha Day Parade
• ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi YouTube Channel Preserves Hawaiian Culture through 3d Animation

(Hannah also interviewed me for an article at KWO: Sharing Kahoʻolawe’s Story with a New Generation of Writers)

Are there any topics you like writing about most?

I enjoy working on stories that aim to uplift or perpetuate Hawaiian culture. All of my stories have some sort of Hawaiian lens to them, which is extremely important to me. However, I truly enjoy highlighting other Hawaiians and giving them a space to share the work they are doing for the lāhui.

What are your hopes and dreams for the year and beyond?

I always hope to continue to write and create. Ever since I became a mom, I have wanted to start writing stories for keiki, which I hope to do one day. My sister is a talented illustrator, so we have always discussed the idea of collaborating on a project together.

I would also like to see myself be more involved in the community, getting out there and doing ʻāina-based work myself. So many Kānaka are out there organizing and being the boots on the ground for others. I don’t see myself working in an office, sitting at a computer all day long. I want to start doing more hands-on work and fostering change in Hawaiʻi by advocating to return to traditional and Indigenous practices.

What advice do you have for aspiring freelance writers?

To bet on yourself and work hard! No one else is going to do the work for you, so reach out, network, talk story, get to know people that you want to be aligned with, and champion you. Don’t bother with those who don’t believe in you or your stories. Not everyone will share that same perspective.

Can you share a bit about what you are working on next?

For KWO, I never know what story I’ll be getting next, which is part of the excitement! For my job with HPR, I hope to speak with some village members of Puʻuhonua Waiʻanae after the new year for a story. They are in the process of moving out of the boat harbor and some are settling into permanent homes on land deeper within the Waiʻanae Valley. I want to see if the transition into their new village is as the media is presenting it.

Do you have a website? What does your social media presence look like?

I don’t have an updated website. Something that I need to take some time to do! I am definitely more private on social media. I only follow family and friends and don’t use it as a platform to brand myself. I am always open to connecting with others, though!

What advice would you give your younger self?

What is meant to happen will happen. Trust the ride and you’ll get to where you’re meant to be.

Mahalo, Hannah, for sharing your story with us! We wish you much aloha and continued success! 

Image courtesy of Hannah Kaʻiulani Colburn. 

2025 was an amazing year! I am so grateful!

This banner year began with the launch party at Native Books of my debut children’s book, Kaho’olawe: The True Story of an Island and Her People. The book was a dream come true and three years in the making. Mahalo to owner Maile Meyer and her incredible staff for hosting us! 

Then came the wonderful news that the book was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection! By the end of the first quarter, Kaho’olawe had earned starred reviews by the School Library Journal and by Kirkus.

I’m always up to talk about the book, and so I did in a flurry of interviews and posts during the summer and fall. Even more fun was attending several book events with the book’s talented illustrator, Harinani Orme.

We ended the year in the best way imaginable — Kaho’olawe was honored on FIVE national Best of 2025 lists:

• NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Books
• New York Public Library Best Books
• School Library Journal Best Nonfiction Elementary Books 
• Betsy Bird 31 Lists, 2025 American History Books for Kids 
• Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature Best Books

Each recognition is such an honor, and I am so very grateful to each of these organizations and to the team at Millbrook Press/Lerner!

Oh, yeah, and I worked on other writing projects, too.

• I spent most of the year working on a manuscript for a nonfiction middle grade history tentatively titled Mai Poina, about the 1899–1900 plague and fires at Honolulu’s Chinatown. When I turned it in a week before its due date, I celebrated by doing cartwheels in my head! It’s due to release in 2027.
• My next picture book, At the Water’s Edge, a biography about the esteemed Native Hawaiian ethnobotanist, Dr. Isabella Aiona Abbott, was announced at Publisher’s Weekly. The illustrator is up-and-coming local Hawai’i artist Remi Jose.
• Another quick project this summer included writing two Little Golden Books for Disney/Random House, which I think will come out in June 2, 2026.
• Perhaps most challenging of all, I contributing to a poetry anthology spearheaded by author Keila Dawson, writing about the forced annexation of the Hawaiian Islands.
• I squeezed in a four-week course on writing novels in verse at Highlights.

I didn’t do a lot of interviews and book reviews on my blog this year, but that’s because I had my hands full with the newest editions to our family, grandson Keaka and granddaughter Lālanihōkū, born in August and October.

Allow me to end the year by thanking those wonderful people who helped guide my literary journey this year.

• My agent extraordinaire, James McGowan of BookEnds, A Literary Agency
• My dream editor, Carol Hinz at Lerner
• Vicki Palmquist (my web guru) and Steve Palmquist (programmer and all-around troubleshooter) at Winding Oak

Thank you for following my blog and following me on Facebook and on Instagram. I send all my aloha to you! See you in 2026!

Image courtesy of Harinani Orme. 

I love Betsy Bird’s 31 Lists blog. So imagine my delight that Kaho’olawe: The True Story of an Island and Her People is included in her 2025 American History list! So grateful!

All proceeds benefit the Protect Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana. Mahalo nui to Carol Hinz and the team at Millbrook/Lerner!

What started out as a bit scary turned out to be such fun! I’d never been interviewed for public radio before, so I was nervous. 

Editor Catherine Cluett Pactol made me feel right at home. 

Honestly, I can talk about the book all day, and I think I did! 

Because of time and space limitations, she couldn’t include everything we’d talked about. She did a great job in focusing on the best parts for the interview.

BUT what was left out was my heartfelt aloha for the book’s wonderful illustrator, Harinani Orme. Harinani’s art is richly textured and vividly colorful and based on tons of research. She is amazing, and I am grateful to call her my friend.

Catherine asked for a photo of me with the book. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t like being photographed, but duty called! So out to our lanai I went with my husband, Tim, in tow. 

Mahalo to Hawai’i Public Radio for featuring Kaho’olawe: The True Story of an Island and Her People! Read the article and listen to the interview here.

All proceeds benefit the Protect Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana. Mahalo nui to Carol Hinz and the team at Millbrook/Lerner!

I believe that all voices deserve to be heard. Mahalo to the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature Best Books of 2025 List for including Kaho’olawe: The True Story of an Island and Her People!

All proceeds benefit the Protect Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana. Mahalo nui to Carol Hinz and the team at Millbrook/Lerner!

I am so grateful that Kaho’olawe: The Story of an Island and Her People is an NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book! Mahalo nui to the NCTE for this honor!

All proceeds benefit the Protect Kaho’olawe ‘Ohana. Mahalo nui to Carol Hinz and the team at Millbrook/Lerner!