Salleh Ben Joned
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Salleh Ben Joned | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 July 1941 |
| Died | 29 October 2020 (aged 79) |
| Occupation(s) | Poet, writer |
| Notable work | Sajak-Sajak Salleh – Poems Sacred and Profane, The Amok of Mat Solo |
Salleh Ben Joned (5 July 1941 - 29 October 2020) was a Malaysian poet, who some have called the "bad boy of Malaysian literature".[1]
Salleh was born in Melaka on 5 July 1941, where he later attended the Malacca High School.[2] He received a Colombo Plan scholarship in 1963 to study English literature in Australia, where he studied first in Adelaide, then at the University of Tasmania where he was a student of James McAuley.[3]
Career
After returning to Malaysia in 1973, Salleh taught English literature at the University of Malaya, before becoming a freelance writer in 1983.[3] He was also a columnist for the New Straits Times in the 1980s and 1990s.[4] His works include Sajak-Sajak Salleh – Poems Sacred and Profane and The Amok of Mat Solo.[5] His work often employed apparent profanity and blasphemy to criticise contemporary political and religious ideologies in Malaysia; in 1974 he publicly urinated at an art exhibition in response to what he saw as its pretentiousness.[6] An essay written by Salleh explaining his rationale for this 'performance art' was later included in texts on art history. [7]
