Kawai Strong Washburn
Kawai Strong Washburn is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and professor based in Hawai'i. He is best known for writing stories that explore the nuances of modern Native Hawaiian life, offering a unique perspective on Hawaiian culture and highlighting the unique, complex, and often forgotten voices from Hawai'i. Washburn's debut novel 'Sharks in the Time of Saviors' was awarded the 2020 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ+ Fiction, and was longlisted for the 2021 Dylan Thomas Prize.
Washburn grew up in the little city of Waimea on Hawai'i Island, the largest and most agriculturally diverse island in the Hawaiian archipelago, also known as the "Big Island." As a kid, Washburn enjoyed exploring the island's wild spaces and spending time with his extended family. He has credited his family and the beauty of the Big Island with nurturing him and allowing his imagination to flourish, creating a deep connection to the land that he would later go on to write about. When Washburn wasn’t exploring nature, he was writing. Even as a child, he enjoyed spinning stories, creating imaginative worlds and writing stories that he shared with his friends.
Washburn's writing career began in earnest when he got the opportunity to attend the graduate creative writing program at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, one of the only universities in the US offering an MFA in creative writing. While attending graduate school, Washburn studied literature, creative writing and workshops specific to Hawaiian literature and oral traditions. This learning informed Washburn's writing in a powerful way, deepening his relationships with both the people of Hawai'i and his imagined stories. During this time, Washburn began to write essays, short stories and his first novel, 'Sharks in the Time of Saviors.'
'Sharks in the Time of Saviors' tells the story of the Nani family, following them as they go on a journey to find hope and reconnect with their sense of identity and purpose. Despite the hardships the family face, their love and bond remain strong throughout their journey. This story, which was inspired by Washburn's own upbringing in Waimea, Hawaii, explores themes of family, faith, and hope with clarity, tenderness and love.
Washburn has become a role model for budding authors who, like Washburn, are creating stories to bridge the gap between storytelling and activism. Since 'Sharks in the Time of Saviors,' Washburn has released the novel 'Hula for the Fallen,' which won the 2021 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for fiction, and is currently working on a feature film with director Taylor Hackford, adapting his debut novel for the big screen.
For his work, Washburn has received several awards, including being named a Wallace Stegner Fellow in fiction by Stanford University, being nominated for the 2020 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, longlisted for the 2021 Dylan Thomas Prize, and winning the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for LGBTQ+ Fiction. These awards are a testament to Washburn's skill as an author, and his ability to tell stories that represent Hawaiian voices and traditions.
Kawai Strong Washburn's stories challenge the norms of traditional Hawaiian literature while staying deeply informed by them. His novels reflect themes of identity, family, and hope, inviting readers to move beyond their understanding of the Hawaiian islands and see them through a new and nuanced lens. For readers who want to explore Hawaiian culture and stories from a unique, complex and often forgotten perspective, Washburn's work is the perfect starting point.
