New York, NY (January 13, 2025)—The Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP) is thrilled to announce that Kaya Press, based in Los Angeles, California, is the winner of the 2024 Constellation Award. The press will receive $10,000.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Kaya Press for their important work amplifying literary voices from the Asian and Pacific Islander diasporas,” said Claire von Schilling, EVP, Director, Corporate Communications & Social Responsibility, Penguin Random House. “Independent presses are essential to our vibrant literary community, and we are honored to continue our partnership with CLMP in support of this significant initiative.”
Founded in 1994 and originally based in New York City, Kaya Press is now located in Los Angeles, where the press has partnered with the University of Southern California (USC) since 2011. Kaya Press is a group of dedicated writers, artists, readers, and lovers of books working together to publish the most challenging, thoughtful, and provocative literature being produced throughout the Asian and Pacific Island diasporas. Its list includes experimental poetry, fiction, film memoir, avant-garde art, and “lost” novels, with five titles published in 2024 and ten titles slated for release in 2025. Upcoming books include the US version of André Dao’s Anam, which won the 2024 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Fiction; Not Yet Gods, the newest collection of short stories from the cult South Korean sci-fi author Djuna, translated by Gord Sellar and Jihyun Park; and an anthology of Hawaiian Pidgin writing edited by R. Zamora Linmark. In celebration of its thirtieth anniversary in 2024, Kaya hosted its first artist-in-residence, Alan Nakagawa, to create a collaborative, multi-genre, interactive performance and experience celebrating Kaya’s history and books. Nakagawa’s work, including micro operas, vibratory sound experiments, book-inspired interactive music boxes, literary karaoke, and more, will debut at ONE Archives at the USC Libraries in February, along with Anatomy of a Publisher: 30 Years of Asian Pacific Diasporic Voices with Kaya Press, an exhibit featuring archival editorial notes, promotional posters, and original artwork, which will be on show through April 26, 2025.
“It’s a huge honor to be recognized with this award as we celebrate thirty years of Kaya Press,” publisher Sunyoung Lee said. “We hope to keep publishing avant-garde, experimental, and expectation-busting Asian diasporic literature for the next thirty—and beyond.”
“Today’s current social and political challenges against literature, including censorship and book banning, are all the more reason to amplify and support CLMP’s Constellation Award,” said CLMP Board Member Clarence Reynolds. “This year, we are delighted to honor Kaya Press for its impressive impact on the literary field regarding its work and support of authors of the Asian and Pacific Islander diasporas for thirty years. Kaya has a robust community engagement, and its partnerships with other literary organizations show a commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion through the authors it publishes and by introducing these works to a broader audience.”
The judges for this year’s award were CLMP Board Members Beena Kamlani, author and freelance editor; Deborah Paredez, author, cofounder of CantoMundo, and Associate Professor at Columbia University; and Clarence Reynolds, former Director of Literary Programs at The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College CUNY.
For more information about the Constellation Award, visit www.clmp.org/constellation-award.
About the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP)
CLMP ensures a vibrant, diverse literary landscape by helping mission-driven independent literary magazines and presses thrive. Since 1967, CLMP has provided publishers with funding and technical assistance; facilitated peer-to-peer learning and group action; served as a dependable, essential hub for best practices, resources, and nurturing community support; and connected publishers with other groups of literary stakeholders, including readers, writers, booksellers, librarians, educators, presenting organizations, and funders. Along with directly serving 1,000+ publishers located in every state in the country, CLMP administers the Lit Mag Adoption program, which provides educators and students with discounted magazine subscriptions; the $10,000 Constellation Award, given to honor an independent literary press that is led by and/or champions the writing of people of color for excellence in publishing; and the Firecracker Awards for Independently Published Literature, which celebrate magazines and books that make a significant contribution to our literary culture, among other programs. Learn more at www.clmp.org.
