Writer
As NOVELIST, Busia's debut novel, “THE SEASONS OF BEENTO BLACKBIRD”
(Little Brown & Company), is a captivating story about the complexities of love,
relationships, and national identity. The novel, set in Ghana, the Caribbean, and the United States, follows the journey of Solomon Wilberforce, a magnetic and brilliant man, searching for home and a sense of belonging. Abest seller, now in its fourth printing, the novel was a Book Of The Month and Quality Paperback Book Club selection. The audio version (bridged and unabridged), read by Akosua herself, is distributed by Brilliance Corporation. The paperback version was published by Washington Square Press, USA, and Random House UK. Amidst it’s rave reviews, People Magazine hailed The Seasons of Beento Blackbird; “Charismatic and brilliant”; the Chicago
Tribune called it; “As lyrical as Toni Morrison, as relevant as Terry McMillan... literary, political, seductive, spiritual and contemporary”, famed author, Larry McMurtry called it; “A beautiful novel: convincing, vivid, compelling.”
Busia’s next novel, AMAZING GRACE – WENCHI SUNRISE, set primarily in Ghana,
is due for publication in 2017.
As SCREENPLAY WRITER, Akosua’s “behind the camera” contributions include
first position screenplay billing for "BELOVED", her film adaptation of Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning novel BELOVED, starring Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey. Directed by Jonathan, Demme, (Oscar winning director of Silence of the Lamb). Beloved, released by Walt Disney Pictures, was nominated for an IMAGE AWARD for outstanding Motion Picture. Akosua was also nominated for a GOLDEN SATELLITE AWARD and BLACK FILM AWARD for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Akosua’s screenplay of THE SEASONS OF BEENTO BLACKBIRD is currently in re-write to bring the story to the big screen.
As LYRICIST, Akosua penned the songs “ONE NIGHT IN PARIS” and “MOON BLUE”
for internationally renowned recording artist, STEVIE WONDER. Featured on Stevie Wonder's album A TIME TO LOVE, MOON BLUE was the only song on the album not written by Mr. Wonder himself. Released as a single, MOON BLUE was singled out by critics as one of Stevie Wonder’s most compelling songs on the album “A TIME TO LOVE”, a song for which he won a GRAMMY AWARD for Best Pop Collaboration.
DETROIT NEWS reports: “The beautifully sad ‘Moon Blue’, co-written with ‘The Color Purple’ actress Akosua Busia has a melody that’s instantly burned into the listener’s brain and sounds like an instant jazz standard.On ‘Moon Blue’, there is an otherworldly feel to Wonder’s vocals, a deeper emotional feel than he’s sung with in years.”
AMAZON.COM,picked “MOON BLUE” as the “killer ballad of the album”.