Bess Press

Bess Press
Name	Bess Press
Founded	1979
Founder	Henry Bess
Headquarters	Honolulu, Hawaii
Country	United States
Publications	Books, educational materials
Topics	Hawaiian history, Pacific studies, children's literature

Bess Press is an independent publishing company based in Honolulu, Hawaii, founded in 1979 by Henry Bess. The company specializes in books about Hawaiian history, Pacific Islands studies, children's literature, and educational resources, serving libraries, schools, and researchers across the Pacific Rim and the United States. Bess Press has produced works used by institutions, community organizations, and cultural centers, and collaborates with authors, historians, and educators on regionally focused titles.

History

Bess Press was established in Honolulu in 1979 during a period of renewed interest in Hawaiian culture associated with events like the 1970s Hawaiian Renaissance, the rise of institutions such as the Bishop Museum, and scholarly work linked to figures connected to the University of Hawaiʻi. The firm's early catalog reflected local demand influenced by publications from the University of Hawaiʻi Press, archival material held by the National Archives, and the research agendas of historians working on topics related to the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, the overthrow of 1893, and labor migration to plantations tied to companies like Castle & Cooke and Alexander & Baldwin. Over subsequent decades the press expanded its offerings alongside expanding curricula in Honolulu County schools and partnerships with community organizations such as the Hawaiʻi State Archives and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Bess Press navigated changes in the publishing industry contemporaneous with trends affecting Simon & Schuster, Random House, and regional presses, adapting distribution strategies in response to developments involving retailers like Barnes & Noble and academic outlets.

Publications and Imprints

The publisher's list includes local history titles, reprints of out-of-print works, biographies, travelogues, and children’s books reflecting narratives akin to collections at the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library. Bess Press has issued editions that complement scholarship published by the University of Hawaiʻi Press, the Australian National University Press, and the University of the South Pacific, and its imprints often intersect with materials curated by museums such as the Honolulu Museum of Art and Waikīkī institutions. The catalog features works that document events comparable in significance to the arrival of missionaries tied to the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and Pacific exploration narratives reminiscent of voyages by James Cook and Abel Tasman. Editions are produced to serve readers interested in the histories of islands connected to Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and the Cook Islands, and to support educators using resources from the Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic.

Educational Materials and Curriculum Contributions

Bess Press produces textbooks, teacher's guides, workbooks, and leveled readers intended for use in Hawaiʻi State Department of Education classrooms and in Pacific Island-focused programs associated with institutions such as Kamehameha Schools and Hawaiʻi Pacific University. Its materials are designed to align with learning objectives found in curricular frameworks influenced by standards adopted in jurisdictions like California, New York, and Oregon, and to complement pedagogical resources developed by the National Council for the Social Studies, the Center for Pacific Islands Studies, and the Department of Education in Fiji. The company collaborates with educators, genealogists, and cultural practitioners to produce primary-source compilations, oral-history guides, and language resources that resonate with work by linguists at SOAS, anthropologists associated with the Australian National University, and historians linked to the Hawaiian Historical Society.

Distribution and Markets

Bess Press distributes titles to school districts, public libraries, academic bookstores, and community centers across the Pacific and continental United States, engaging with distributors and wholesalers operating in networks similar to Ingram and Consortium. The press markets to readers in Hawaiʻi, Alaska, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and reaches audiences connected to Pacific studies programs at institutions such as the University of Washington, the University of California system, and the University of British Columbia. Sales and placement strategies reflect participation in book fairs and conferences frequented by professionals associated with the Association of American Publishers, the American Library Association, and regional cultural festivals in Polynesia and Micronesia.

Notable Authors and Titles

Authors published by the press include historians, cultural practitioners, educators, and family historians whose subject matter intersects with figures and events like King Kamehameha, Queen Liliʻuokalani, the Pacific War, the sugar plantation era, and migration narratives tied to Okinawa and the Philippines. Titles have documented themes related to the 1893 overthrow, World War II in the Pacific, and genealogical records used by descendants tracing links to missionaries, merchants, and seafaring communities. The list complements scholarship by authors affiliated with institutions such as Yale University, Stanford University, Oxford University, and the University of Hawaiʻi, and resonates with titles found in collections at the Library of Congress and the New York Public Library.

Awards and Recognition

While focused on regional subject matter rather than national bestseller charts, Bess Press titles have been recognized in contexts connected to awards and honors conferred by organizations like the Hawaiʻi Book Publishers Association, regional historical societies, and community cultural awards presented by entities such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and local chambers of commerce. Books from the press have been recommended by librarians associated with the American Library Association and used in exhibits at museums including the Bishop Museum and the Honolulu Museum of Art, reflecting community validation and institutional adoption.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

Bess Press operates as an independent, privately held company headquartered in Honolulu, maintaining editorial control over acquisitions, production, and design decisions. The company manages relationships with freelance editors, designers, illustrators, and consultants, often sourcing expertise from professionals who have worked with university presses, museum publishing departments, and nonprofit cultural organizations. Its operational model mirrors that of other regional independent publishers that balance commercial distribution with mission-driven publishing tied to local heritage and scholarly communities.

Category:Publishing companies of the United States Category:Companies based in Honolulu