Focusing more on creation than commerce, Kaya Press hosted a large tent at the L.A. Times Festival of Books this weekend, and offered more do-it-yourself activities than shelves of merchandise. Their tent, adorned with a sign that read, "Smokin' hot indie lit lounge," held a make-your-own-book workshop, a typewriter, paper airplanes with a touch of literature and a map for literary presses.

"We were formed 17 years ago, originally located in New York," publisher Sunyoung Lee said. "We're a publisher of Asian and Pacific diasporic literature. We're pretty much the only press of its kind on the mainland. We're interested in publishing cutting edge and innovative fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction that's being published by Asian and Pacific diasporic authors." 

Kaya Press moved to California recently, finding a home at the USC campus in September. 

"We're very excited to be here [at the festival]," Lee said. "What we wanted to do was create a showcase for independent literary publishing in Los Angeles."

Go to full screen and click "show info" for interviews with Kaya Press representatives and customers.

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Reach senior news editor Agnus Dei Farrant here.

For complete coverage of the Festival of Books, click here