He might not have received any national laureate awards from the powers that be, but poet, essayist, playwright and actor Salleh Ben Joned’s works continue to influence and capture the imagination of people.

The constant reference by his peers and the fact that so many young people are “discovering” his works speak for themselves.

Though he may not have come out with anything new over the past couple of decades due to mental illness, Salleh's death on April 29, 2020, at the age of 79 was felt in the literary world. As the media paid tribute to him, so did many luminaries in the local literary scene.

However, there is so much to learn about Salleh...