Our story
Bess Press, founded in 1979, publishes high-quality stories and educational resources focused on the cultures of Hawaiʻi, Oceania, and the greater Pacific.
We create books for all ages, grounded in Indigenous, local,
and community perspectives. Our work is shaped in partnership with educators,
cultural practitioners, and community stakeholders.
As a 21st-century publisher, we serve a broad and diverse audience, from babies and toddlers to seniors, and we are not confined to a single genre or catalog. Our long-term success is built on a comprehensive model that integrates content acquisition, product conception, design, distribution, and consumer engagement. We aim to remain a resource and committed partner within our community.
Since our beginning, we have collaborated closely with teachers, librarians, administrators, students, retailers, and the general community to shape the direction of our publishing. We seek input from from the general community of Oceania to ensure our publications remain relevant, practical, and reflective for today’s diverse readers.
Our founders
Little did husband and wife co-founders, Buddy Bess and Dr. Ann Rayson, expect that what started in a small basement, with a single textbook, over 43 years ago, would grow to become a thriving publishing enterprise and family business.
"Publishing books is not a science, but rather a combination of art and commerce. We treat each book like one would do with a family member; with high hopes for the future and at some point in time the reality that each of us and each of our books has its own life force."
- Benjamin "Buddy" Bess
- Hawai'i the Pacific State: Originally published as Hawaii: The Aloha State in 1960. Bess Press acquired the rights to that text in 1979, then revised and updated it
- Hawaiians of Old: Written by Betty Dunford in 1979 and first published in 1980. Realizing there was a need for an elementary school book on ancient Hawaiian culture, Dunford partnered with Bess Press and authored Hawaiians of Old, now in its 4th edition.
- Pacific Nations and Territories: Originally published in 1982, Bess Press acquired the copyrights to Pacific Nations and Territories, a college text and released a revised second edition in 1988.
- Pacific Neighbors: Based on Pacific Nations and Territories, Pacific Neighbors was produced with the same intent of providing students of the Pacific with histories about their communities, but written at a lower reading level for more widespread use in school grades.
- Hush Little Keiki: In 2015, Bess Press expands on the interactive board book concept releasing this charming fold-out book.
- The Musubi Man: In 1996, a classic local food snack became the subject of this enduring title based off a timeless fable.
- History of the Hawaiian Kingdom: Originally publishing as The Hawaiian Monarchy in 1983. this title was revised and rewritten as History of the Hawaiian Kingdom with 200+ primary source documents, photos, and drawings.
How it started
Bess Press was founded by husband and wife team, Buddy Bess and Dr. Ann Rayson. Operating out of their Pālolo Valley home basement, Buddy, a New York City publishing veteran, and Ann, a literature professor at UH Mānoa, bought the rights to a Hawaiian History textbook to support the new social studies mandates born from the 1978 "Con Con."