Sobonfu Somé (d. January 14, 2017) was a Burkinabe teacher and writer, specializing in topics of

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

. She wrote three books: her first, ''The Spirit of Intimacy'', looks at relationships and intimacy through the lens of African spirituality and teachings. She founded the organization Wisdom Spring to teach African spirituality to westerners and to provide drinking water to villages in

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

Naming

Sobonfu Somé wrote about African culture, with a focus on her and her husband's interpretations of Dagara spiritual traditions for use by Westerners. One story she relayed was that, in a

naming ceremony A naming ceremony is a stage at which a person or persons is officially assigned a name. The methods of the practice differ over cultures and religions. The timing at which a name is assigned can vary from some days after birth to several months ...

, her mother had been placed in a

trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...

-like state in which she and the elders of the community divined Sobonfu's life purpose. She said the elders then gave her, the unborn child, the name ''Sobonfu'', meaning "Keeper of Ritual", based upon this experience.

Marriage

Sobonfu was married to

Malidoma Patrice Somé Malidoma Patrice Somé (1956–2021) was a writer and workshop leader, primarily in the field of spirituality. Born in a Dagara community in Dano, Burkina Faso, West Africa, he was raised by Jesuit priests from the age of four, pursued higher ...

in an

arranged marriage Arranged marriage is a type of Marriage, marital union where the bride and groom are primarily selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, particularly by family members such as the parents. In some cultures, a professional matchmaki ...

. The couple moved to London, and later the United States.

Death

Somé died from a weakened immune system attributed to water contamination.

Works

*''The Spirit of Intimacy: Ancient Teachings in the Ways of Relationships''. New York, NY: Quill, 2002. *''Welcoming Spirit Home: Ancient African Teachings to Celebrate Children and Community''. Novato, CA: New World Library. Welcoming Spirit Home: Ancient African teachings to celebrate children and community. Journal of Prenatal & Perinatal Psychology & Health, 17(1), 95-98 *''Falling Out of Grace: Meditations on Loss, Healing and Wisdom''. El Sobrante, CA: North Bay Books. Arms, S. (2002). . *''Women's Wisdom from the Heart of Africa''. Louisville, CO: Sounds True, 2004.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sobonfu Somé Burkinabe women writers 2017 deaths 21st-century women writers Year of birth missing 21st-century Burkinabe people