Courttia Newland: The Art of Opposition

Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham, B4 7XR
Sunday 11th October 2026
The true temperature of a culture can often be taken underground: or where significant artists and creators toil away out of sight of the commercial mainstream. For novelist and screenwriter Courttia Newland it is here that we find the pioneers, radicals and gamechangers making the real work for all time.


Examining those artists and thinkers that have informed and inspired his own career, exploring how one stands up for one’s personal voice, experiences and perspectives, and encouraging an engagement of works beyond the white Western canon, Newland’s fascinating new essay collection, The Art of Opposition, is a generous act: one that eloquently elevates the voices of uncompromising non-conformers.

In conversation with writer, educator and former Birmingham Poet Laureate Casey Bailey.

This event is sponsored by Birmingham City University.