language instructor Keao NeSmith is the linguist behind , an ʻōlelo麻豆传媒 (Hawaiian language) translation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
NeSmith, a cultural practitioner, was born and raised in Kekaha, Kauaʻi, where he regularly spoke Hawaiian with his grandmother. Translating Harry Potter was a fun endeavor for NeSmith, and he was not anticipating such a powerful reaction.
“A couple of people have expressed to me, in tears, how they never would have imagined having it in Hawaiian,” said NeSmith.
