LATIFF Mohidin, born in 1941, is one of the few great Malaysian artists who has the double talents of a painter and a poet, and an overwhelming reputation here. Just mention Pago Pago or Mekong and art enthusiasts will know who and what you are talking about!

Latiff’s work has been well-received in the Malay- and English-speaking world, but his German connection had not come to fruition until recently, even though it left a considerable impact on him.

"In retrospect, I think I was very lucky to have been sent to Germany and not to London, where most Malaysians were sent. It gave me a broader exposure to Europe, in part because I was alone and had to mix with my German contemporaries," said Latiff.

It was a lucky coincidence that the founding of the German Alumni Association Kuala Lumpur at the end of 2003, and the ties between Askandar Unglehrt, Latiff and the Goethe-Institut Kuala Lumpur, finally lead to the publication of Latiff’s early poems.

Horlemann Publishers in Bonn, which had already published works by Muhammad Salleh and Cecil Rajendra, was happy to edit a bilingual edition of Latiff’s poems, which were translated by Askandar in co-operation with Latiff.

This turned out to be the starting point of a series of translations of works of other writers from Bahasa Malaysia into German and vice versa. Publishers such as Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Institut Terjemahan Nasional Malaysia, Silverfish Publishers and Kala Publishers have also shown interest.

Fans of Latiff will be pleased to know that the launch of his early poems in Bahasa Malaysia and German will be held on March 30 at NN Gallery, 53A & 56 Jalan Sulaiman 1, Taman Ampang Hilir, Ampang. Visit www.nngallery.com.my for more information.