The family and friends of poet Gboyega Odubanjo have raised more than £56,000 as part of a fundraiser launched to start a foundation for low-income Black writers in the writer’s memory.
Odubanjo, 27, went missing at the Shambala Festival in Northamptonshire on Saturday 26th August. Officers investigating found a body on Thursday 31st August. In a statement, Northamptonshire police said formal identification had yet to take place, but that Odubanjo’s family had been informed.
His loved ones are now “asking for the help of his community through community fundraising” for the purpose of “support[ing] in his final arrangements and continuing his legacy,” and to launch the Gboyega Odubanjo Foundation for low-income Black writers. The fundraiser can be found here.
It states: “Gboyega always wanted to uplift and support his community, through mentoring young people, through gently praising someone at a poetry night about their star quality and through teaching in numerous places. His poetry and writing has been a beacon of light to many.”
It continues: “We, the close friends and loved ones of Gboyega, express our profound sadness and grief at the loss of one of our brightest and most talented stars. Gboyega was the source of incredible joy and laughter for all of us, and we are utterly heartbroken to hear that his life has been so suddenly cut short.
“Over the past few days, we have been working tirelessly to ensure his name and image remained visible to members of the public across the UK. We would like to thank everyone who helped in the mission to bring Gboyega home safe; all those who shared the callout, sent in information, and went out searching. Your support has meant the world to us in this incredibly difficult time.”
Odubanjo’s pamphlet, Aunty Uncle Poems, was a winner of the Poetry Business New Poets prize in 2020. He had also been the recipient of an Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors and a Michael Marks pamphlet award. He was studying for a PhD at the University of Hertfordshire, and his upcoming collection, Adam, was inspired by the unsolved murder of “Adam”, an unidentified boy whose body was found in the River Thames in 2001.
