Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 26, Number 9, 1 May 2009 — Celebrate story and song with the ʻohana [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Celebrate story and song with the ʻohana

By ī. Ilihia Giansan Publicatiūns Editar The fourth annual Hawai'i Book and Music Festival - offering 175 events and more than 500 presenters over two days at Honolulu Hale - promises to be an event to remember. The festival is siue to have something for all comers. And quite a few comers eame to last year's event - 30,000 or so, by the organizers' estimates. "This is an unusual book festival because it takes the idea of telling stories very broadly," said executive director Roger lelhnek. "We have song, books, poetry, sign language, dance, chant, hula, drama, improv comedy, many different ways of telling a story." Families will love that a third of the program will be dedicated to teaching, entertaining and stimulating kids, lellinek said, with more than 50 acts and authors just for the keiki including sessions dedicated to the recent explosion in bilingual English/'ōlelo Hawai'i keiki books. For the grown-ups, there will be discussions on the tenuous struggle over ceded lands, the Akaka Bill, and Hawaiian literacy yesterday and today. Panelists will also discuss a Hawaiian sense of plaee in mele and literature, as well as a discussion on sense of plaee in tourism: is it an honor, or an exploitation? Also watch the world premiere of Herb Kāne's film Voyagers as well as Whale Rider along with author Witi Ihimaera at screenings at Consolidated Theaters in Kāhala Mall.

Entertainers who will grace the main stage include the Royal Hawaiian Band, Kamakakēhau Fernandez, Ken Makuakāne, Mihana, Peter Apo, Miehael Pili Pang and

Hālau Hula Ka No'eau. Add to all this the long list of locally and nationally known authors presenting - fantasy writer Terry Brooks (the Shannara series), Lisa Kana'e (Islands Li.nked By Oeean), Chris McKinney ( Mililani Mauka, Tattoo), children's book author Iames Rumford (Silent Music, The Island-below-the-Star), suspense and horror writer lohn Saul (Perfect Nightmare, Suffer the Chi.ldren), and tita Lois-Ann Yamanaka (Blu 's Hangi.ng, Saturday Ni.ght at the Pāhala Theatre), among others - and you get a weekend of fun and learning for the whole family . ■

4th annual Hawai'i Book and Music Festival 10a.m. May 16 and 17 Honolulu Hale Free admission and parking hawaiibookandmusicfestival.org

Above: The book swap wūs a popular attraction at last year's Hawai'i Book and Music Festival. - Photo: Courtesy Hawai'i Book and Music Festival, Right: An estimated 30,000 people enjoyed the 2008 Hawai'i Book and Music Festival at Honolulu Hale. - Photo: Brian Green, courtesy of Hawai'i Book and Music Festival