Chris McKinney

Chris McKinney is an American writer born and raised in Hawaii. He is known for his novels set in Hawaii that focus on the challenges faced by underprivileged individuals in a changing society. Currently, he serves as an associate professor in Language Arts at Honolulu Community College, where he has been teaching since 2003. McKinney has received several accolades for his work, including being a fellow of the Hawai`i Writing Project in 1998 and the recipient of the Elliot Cades Award for Literature in 2000. His novel, The Tattoo, received awards for Excellence in Literature and Excellence in Writing Literature from The Hawai`i Book Publishers Association. Additionally, his screenplay Paradise Broken was nominated for Best Film at the Los Angeles Pacific Film Festival. In 2021, McKinney's latest novel, Midnight Water City, was recognized as a Best Mystery of the year by Publishers Weekly and CrimeReads for its speculative elements.