Odubanjo’s writing rubs together the many different parts of his world: London, Nigerian culture, religion, music, parties, histories of migration. The booklet includes both previously published and new poems written especially for this publication, and interviews he conducted with three East London artists: John Akinde, Tife Kusoro and John Smith. Together they define a relationship to his hometown of Dagenham in East London. Contrasting his own experiences - from being chased home after school, to buying grilled suya from a van around the corner from the local Wetherspoons - with other local histories and stories, Odubanjo places them in a wider context of migration and regeneration.

Gboyega Odubanjo (1996-2023) was a British-Nigerian poet born and raised in East London. His first poetry pamphlet, While I Yet Live, was published by Bad Betty Press in 2019 and was named as one of the Poetry School’s Books of the Year. He was a winner of the Michael Marks Poetry Award and an Eric Gregory Award. A Barbican Young Poet alumnus, Odubanjo was an editor at bath magg journal and Bad Betty Press, co-chair of Magma and a member of the Roundhouse Poetry Collective, after which he later became a Roundhouse Resident Artist. He was a creative-writing tutor on the Creative Future IMPART programme, supporting writers from underrepresented backgrounds. His UK garage single ‘LDN GRLS’ with Love Remain is out with the Sony Music UK label Black Butter Records. The Gboyega Odubanjo Foundation for low-income Black writers was established in 2023 to honour his legacy. His debut poetry collection, Adam, has been published posthumously by Faber & Faber.

Gboyega Odubanjo developed Two Stops Short of Barking as writer-in-residence at Rabbits Road Institute Library whilst it was based in Barking & Dagenham. Gboyega responded to the books in the library, and to his deep connection with the area. The original pamphlet was published with the support of Pen to Print and Arts Council England. This new edition allows the work he made during that time to be out in the world again, and every copy sold will make a contribution to the Gboyega Odubanjo Foundation set up by his family to support Black writers.