A WOMAN WRITER IN MALAYSIA

A JOURNEY THROUGH PROSE AND POETRY co published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka and International Islamic University Press 2018. The book was launched at Singapore National Library.

This book originates from my paper entitled “Women Writers in Malaysia: The Road I Have Taken” delivered at a seminar organized by the Institute of Thai Studies, Chulalongkorn University, in Bangkok on 9 September 2013. The seminar, The Emergence and Heritage of Asian Women Intellectuals examined the role of women in development of a nation and society. It facilitated discussion on the challenges faced by aspiring women due to gender inequality. I was called to talk on my experience as a woman writer amidst the cultural background in which I grew up. The paper started with an introduction of the development of women writers in Malaysia written by Dr. Norhayati Ab Rahman. I picked up from there to talk on my involvement in Malaysian literature.

The book is divided into two sections. The first part began with a brief introduction of the early development of modern Malaysian literature and the emergence of important women writers in the Malay literary scene. I talked of personal involvement in writing, how it began, the experiences, and the struggle that followed. The long and winding road taken manifested the hardship that a woman in Malaysia has to overcome, to pursue her aspiration of becoming a writer or to create a name for herself amidst the social and cultural situations. What sparked off writing was the suppressed feeling of being silenced by norms and upbringing, the warning that a girl should not speak or exert her voice. There was so much to say and  the only way out was to write them down.

I talked about issues in poems and short stories, exposing creative processes of some selected works that have been highlighted. The issues in the writings are also common in the literary works of other contemporary Malaysian writers.

iThis will serve as an insight especially to foreign students and readers, into contemporary Malay literary scene. My focus is on the social and religious  factors  that mould the  creativity of Malaysian writers particularly the women. I also made observations of fellow women writers, some of which did not survive and disappear especially after marriage. At the earlier stage, writings by women did not receive due attention and review. They were usually considered of lesser quality than works produced by male writers.

The second part of the book contained excerpts of short stories and selected poems. The works selected are examples to illustrate what have been discussed in the first section. There are mostly short stories and poems on the plight of women and other issues in society which include poverty, the concern for the younger generation, and the future of the nation.

This book is a source of information on the life and authorship of a Malaysian woman. It is my hope that it could enrich the material and  references on contemporary Malaysian literature. I made it my objective to give an insight into the sociological and cultural background that influenced literary production of a female writer in Malaysia. The samples of short stories and poems in translation included here would benefit students of Malay literature particularly the foreigners.

I have previously written two books on involvement in writings. The first book is Memoir Zurinah Hassan Menjejak Puisi (Penerbit UKM, 2003), a memoir of childhood and younger days and the beginning of participation in writing.. Most of the poems cited and analysed were produced at the earlier stage of writing career. The second book is Catatan Perjalanan Seni Zurinah Hassan (ITBM, 2013), which concentrated on creative processes of poems inspired and influenced by folktales and legendary tales.

In 2015 I was announced as a Malaysian National Laureate. I became a first female writer to be selected to this highest level of recognition in literature in Malaysia.  The award which carried the tittle of Sasterawan Negara was established by the government of Malaysia in 1981.  From then up to the time of writing (2020) 14 writers have been honored with the tittles.