The world has lost a truly radiant soul with the passing of Dr. Melz Owusu. Based in the United Kingdom, Dr. Melz was a celebrated author, holistic coach, scholar, and thought leader whose work touched the lives of many seeking deeper meaning, connection, and transformation.
Their sudden death has left a deep and painful void in the hearts of all who were inspired by their wisdom, compassion, and radical vision for a better world.
Dr. Melz Owusu earned their doctorate from the University of Cambridge, where they explored the boundaries of knowledge and challenged conventional understandings of truth and learning.
Their thesis—a groundbreaking work in itself—centered spirituality as a valid and vital form of knowledge. Melz wove together an extraordinary tapestry of traditions and philosophies, drawing insight from Ancient Chinese Taoism, Indian Tantra, Quantum Physics, Jungian Psychology, Modal Knowledge, Post-Structuralism, Queer Theory, and Black Feminist Thought.
Their work redefined what it means to “know” and urged academia—and society—to make space for forms of wisdom that have long been marginalized or erased. But Melz was never content to keep their brilliance confined to the academy.
They brought their knowledge and heart into every room they entered, whether as a coach, speaker, facilitator, or friend. As a holistic life coach, Melz worked with individuals to integrate mind, body, and spirit while acknowledging the social forces—like race, gender, trauma, and inequality—that shape our lives.
Their guidance was deeply personal, profoundly spiritual, and radically empowering. They helped others step into their truth, live in alignment with their values, and embody their fullest selves.
On an organisational level, Melz collaborated with leaders and teams to build cultures grounded in purpose, empathy, and transformational vision. Their presence challenged institutions to imagine differently, to lead with care, and to root their work in justice.
Melz believed that changing the world begins with how we show up in it—and they helped countless people and organisations reimagine what was possible. Through their podcast Self Work, Soul Work, Melz brought these insights to a broader audience.
Each week, they held space for deep philosophical and spiritual inquiry—offering reflections on healing, personal growth, and collective liberation. Their words were both poetic and practical, inviting listeners to do the hard, beautiful work of transforming themselves from within.
Melz’s mission was always clear: to reconnect people with their inner power so they could, in turn, transform the world. Melz was also a gifted writer and teacher.
Their first book, Undisciplined: Reclaiming the Right to Imagine—published by Polity Press—was a bold and visionary call to resist the confines of rigid knowledge systems and reclaim imagination as a liberatory force.
In it, they championed the idea that creativity, spirituality, and radical dreaming are essential tools for social change. At the time of their passing, Melz was working on their second book, which explored the complexities and beauty of masculinity.
True to their deeply thoughtful approach, Melz sought not to dismantle masculinity entirely, but to invite a reimagining of it—one grounded in healing, tenderness, and authenticity.
This work was meant not just for men, but for everyone, offering a blueprint for how we might hold space for masculinity’s full humanity without reproducing harm. Dr. Melz Owusu’s death is a profound loss to the many communities they touched—academic, spiritual, queer, Black, and beyond.
But their work lives on: in the books and podcasts they created, in the lives they changed, and in the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to know them or learn from them.
May their memory continue to inspire healing, imagination, and liberation for generations to come. Rest in peace, Melz—you led with love, and your legacy will forever shine.
