Khadijah Hashim

Former teacher, Khadijah Hashim (born 20 April 1942 in Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaysia) is a Malaysian novelist, scriptwriter and journalist. She has worked as a teacher, also as a journalist with local newspapers Utusan Melayu (1974–1976) and Berita Harian (1976–1985). She is more well known as a novelist, and has produced 19 novels. She also expanded her creativity in the field of short stories, radio drama scripts, children's books, rhymes and poetry. The children’s rhyme book “Sayang Sayang” has been selected to be on Honour List of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) in Basel, Switzerland (2002) and “Semerbak Poetry” in Macau, China (2006). Khadijah continues her interests in writing rhymes, which led to her latest creation of “Putera-puteri Malaysia”.

Several of Khadijah’s short stories and novels have been adapted to TV dramas. Amongst them were "Mawar Merah di Jambangan", "Sekapur Sirih Segeluk Air", "Ditepi Pagar”, and “Badai Semalam” and “Dekat Disayang Jauh Dikenang” novels. “Laila Azwa Gadisku” novel was adapted to television film. Meanwhile, “Mira Edora" and "Pelangi Pagi” novels have been made into movie films with the title of "Mira Edora" and "Bicara Hati" respectively.

Her first and one of her most well-known novel “Badai Semalam” (1968) was used as school textbook in Singapore and Malaysia.[3] The novel has been translated into English, “Storms of Yesterday”, by Mahani Abdul Hamid in 1991 and Spanish, "Tormentos del ayer", by Alberto Balanza and Yahia in 2010. “Badai Semalam” was republished several times and the latest was in 2006 by Alaf21 in the nostalgic novel series. The English version was also republished in 2009 by Institut Terjemahan Negara Malaysia under the Malaysian Literature Series.

“Merpati Putih Terbang Lagi” novel won a consolation prize in a writing contest in the celebration of ten years of Malaysia’s independence. The novel has also been translated into Japanese by Tatsun Hoshino. “Exiled” novel has been nominated for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1997. Her “Langkah Pertama” novel has won the Mobil-MABOPA Children's Book Award in 1995. Khadijah was the recipient of Southeast Asian Writers Award in 1999 and had undergone the International Writing Program at Iowa University in 1994. Her children's story book series, “Siri Lagenda”, “Siri Aura dan Fauna” and “Siri Teladan dari Rimba” have been translated into English by the Institut Terjemahan Negara Malaysia (2009).

Khadijah Hashim is amongst of the earliest female novelist get attention and place of the novel fans in Malaysia.

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MEMANDANGKAN jumlah penulis wanita yang amat kecil bilangannya itu, tidak hairanlah kalau beberapa nama mudah diingati oleh peminat-peminat sastera seperti Adibah Amin, Salmi Manja, Fatimah Busu, Salmah Mohsin, Zurinah Hassan dan KHADIJAH HASHIM.

Khadijah Hashim merupakan salah seorang daripada penulis wanita yang paling aktif menghasilkan pelbagai karya kreatif. Beliau pernah menulis beberapa buah drama radio sebelum melangkah ke dalam bidang penulisan cerpen dan novel. Sebagai penulis, Khadijah mempunyai bakat besar terutama sekali dalam bidang penulisan cerpen dan novel. Malahan, beliau dapat dianggap sebagai seorang penulis yang berjaya dibandingkan dengan penulis-penulis wanita lain yang lahir seangkatan dengannya.

Khadijah Hashim menerima pendidikan awalnya di Johor dan kemudian buat beberapa waktu menjadi guru agama. Beliau pernah mengajar di Sekolah Seri Pelangi, Batu Pahat. Tetapi selepas itu pekerjaan sebagai wartawan lebih menarik minatnya dan beliau diterima berkhidmat di Kumpulan Akhbar Utusan Melayu pada tahun 1974. Beliau memulakan tugasnya sebagai wartawan di akhbar Utusan Melayu. Di samping menjadi wartawan, Khadijah mengelolakan ruangan `Dialog Kecil’, iaitu menulis kisah-kisah mengenai masyarakat yang berlaku sehari-hari. Di samping itu Khadijah