The World is A Shopping Mall/Dunia Sebuah Pasar Raya by Zurinah Hassan

 The Modern Metaphor: The World is a Shopping Mall, transforms local cultural observations into a universal human statement. She masterfully shapes the English language into a vessel capable of carrying the specific isolation, transactional nature, and moral displacement brought about by global capitalism.

As the first woman to be elevated to the pinnacle of Sasterawan Negara, Dr. Zurinah Hassan has long been a trailblazer. With this self-translated volume, she expands her trailblazing legacy to the international arena. She proves that a writer from Southeast Asia does not need to wait for the Western gaze to discover her; instead, she possesses the linguistic command and intellectual stamina to present her own heritage directly to the world.

To read Dunia Sebuah Pasar Raya side-by-side in its bilingual format is to watch a genius at work. It is an enduring testament to a lifetime of literary devotion, proving that while languages may differ, the universal truths of human dignity, memory, and critique remain absolutely unbreakable under her pen.

Dunia Sebuah Pasar Raya / The World is a Shopping Mall stands as a monumental event in contemporary world literature. In this definitive bilingual collection, Dato' Dr. Zurinah Hassan—Malaysia's historic 13th National Laureate (Sasterawan Negara) and the first woman to ever receive the nation's highest literary honor—undertakes the rare and delicate craft of literary self-translation. By rendering her own masterful verses into English, the Laureate bypasses traditional ]external interpretation, offering international readers an unmediated encounter with the distinct rhythms, textures, and spiritual gravityof modern Malay poetry.

Building upon the rich ecological, historical, and maritime landscapes that defined her landmark collection Menghadap ke Pelabuhan (Facing the Harbour), Dr. Zurinah Hassan expands her artistic canvas to confront the realities of a globalized, contemporary society. Through striking imagery and sharp emotional economy, the title metaphor brilliantly reimagines our modern existence as a highly transactional space, crafting a universally resonant critique of capitalism, human displacement, and urban isolation.