Jasmin Iolani Hakes was born and raised in Hilo, Hawai'i. She is the author of the novel Hula, which was named a Best Book of the Summer by Harper’s Bazaar and ELLE, was a winner of Audiofile Magazine’s Earphones Award, and was named HONOLULU magazine’s Book of the Year About Hawai’i. Her essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Times and the Sacramento Bee. She is the recipient of the Best Fiction award from the Southern California Writers Conference, a Squaw Valley LoJo Foundation Scholarship, a Writing by Writers Emerging Voices fellowship, and a Hedgebrook residency. She worked throughout college as a professional luau dancer. She lives in California.
