Kaya Press has been in existence for 29 years–a major feat for an independent, Asian diasporic publishing company!

In thinking back on our own lives, turning 29 felt like a turning point: one of us graduated from an MFA program and moved in with a partner, while another quit a job at a gallery and began thinking about getting a PhD, another moved to Vietnam to start research on a project that never came to be. When turning 29, the responsibilities of adulthood seem imminent and yet the instability of life also makes itself known through transitions and opportunities. 

For Kaya Press, we are ending our 20s feeling more passionate and convinced than ever about the work we do: nurturing and supporting Asian diasporic voices! This would not be possible without our community: your support has seen us through and makes it possible to continue imagining our best selves and our collective future. 

We’re asking you to support us by helping us raise $30,000 by January 1, 2023. 

Donate here.

Kaya had an exciting year in 2023, and our successes included publishing The Girl Before Her by Line Papin, translated by Adriana Hunter and Ly Lan Dill–the first book in the Ink & Blood Imprint in partnership with the Diasporic Vietnamese Artist Network. Line flew to New York City in September and then toured the book across the United States, with stops in Washington D.C., Columbus, Ohio, Austin, New Orleans and Los Angeles–one of our most comprehensive tours ever!

In 2024, we will be publishing and promoting seven new titles, along with releasing the first title from our intern-led Milkteeth chapbook imprint.

• Everything Good Dies Here (February 2024)

Written by South Korean science fiction star Djuna and translated from the Korean by Adrian Thieret, the next installment of our Magpie Series on Global Korean Literature in Translation.

• In Search of Hiroshi (February 2024)

Written by Gene Oishi–a new edition of Oishi’s memoir about being interned as a young boy and reckoning with injustice. 

• I ask about what falls away (February 2024)

Written by Jason Magabo Perez, a new poetry collection by San Diego’s Poet Laureate.

• Song of Arirang (February 2024)

Written by Kim San, as told to Nym Wales, a story of a Korean revolutionary in China. 

• I Guess All We Have Is Freedom  (March 2024)

Written by Genpei Akasegawa, translated by Matt Fargo–a striking collection of short stories from a giant of the contemporary Japanese art world. 

• New Edition of Hyperart Thomasson (March 2024)

Written by Genpei Akasegawa, translated by Matt Fargo–finally, our in-demand collection of Akasegawa’s writing on Thomasson is back on shelves with new material!

• I Will Not Go: Translations, Transformations, & Chutney Fractals (May 2024)

Edited by Rajiv Mohabir–in this anthology, 17 Indo-Caribbean writers experiment with their own personal interpretations of two famous Chutney songs. 

• Double Happiness (May 2024)

Written by Maya Lu, the first title from our intern-led Milkteeth chapbook imprint searches for joy in the space between the linguistic and temporal divides of a mother and daughter.

The funds we raise from our annual fundraiser this year will go directly towards funding two new editorial staff positions that we are developing to make Kaya Press a more stable organization as we grow into our 30s! 

 Until the end of 2023, donor Stephen CuUnjieng will match every dollar you donate to Kaya Press — doubling your support! Donate here.

The Work Behind the Work

Since Kaya Press began and made a splash on the New York literary scene in the mid-1990s, we’ve consistently published innovative, overlooked, and award-winning Asian Pacific American and Asian diasporic books, and through it all, what hasn’t changed is the work behind the work. 

We’ve always thought of you as our chosen family. You are part of this process and this giving season, we’re going to take you through all the different aspects of publishing Asian diasporic writers. Follow along over the next month as we highlight some behind-the-scenes work that we do to publish books, organize events, and more!

By raising $30,000 with your support, we will continue to nurture and support API voices. Donate here!