Courttia Newland (25 August 1973) is an acclaimed black British writer of Jamaican and Bajan heritage, who has been hailed as one of the few authors who accurately portray life in London's inner cities
Newland grew up in Shepherd's Bush, west London, where he became a rapper and music producer who, together with friends, released a Drum n' Bass white label. In 1997 he published his first novel, The Scholar. Further critically acclaimed work followed, including Society Within and Snakeskin.
In 2000 he co-edited the anthology IC3: The Penguin Book of New Black Writing in Britain, and his short stories have featured in many other anthologies including The Time Out Book of London Short Stories: Vol 2 and England Calling:24 Stories for the 21st Century.
His latest books include a novella, The Dying Wish, and a collection of macabre short stories, Music for the Off-Key, both published in 2006.
Newland tours extensively for the British Council, and has been writer-in-residence for Trinity College, Dublin and Georgetown University, Washington DC. He has taught creative writing workshops and performed readings in countries as diverse as Russia, Gambia, and Singapore.
He was shortlisted for the 2007 Crime Writers' Association Dagger in the Library Award.
His latest book, which he co-edited with Monique Roffey, is The Global Village (2009).
“Piece of My Mind,” in Disco 2000, edited by Sarah Champion (London: Scepter, 1998), pp. 217—264;
“The Great White Hate,” in Afrobeat: New Black British Fiction, edited by Patsy Antoine (London: Pulp Faction, 1999), pp. 29—36;
“A Hard Crossing to Bear,” in Playing Sidney Poitier and other stories, edited by Catherine Johnson (London: S.A.K.S. Publications, 1999), pp. 115—123;
“Complexion Does Not Maketh the (Black) Man,” in New Writing 8, edited by Tibor Fischer and Lawrence Norfolk (London: Vintage, 1999), pp. 382—393;
“His Healing Hands,” in The Rites of Spring: New Writing from London, edited by Nicholas Royle (London: 4th Estate, 2000), pp. 97—112;
IC3: The Penguin Book of New Black Writing in Britain, edited by Newland and Kadija Sesay (London: Penguin/ London: Hamish Hamilton, 2000);
“Suicide Note,” in The Time Out Book of London Short Stories. Volume 2, edited by Nicholas Royle (London: Penguin, 2000), pp. 268—290;
“Sound of the Drums,” in England Calling (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2001), pp. 269—281;
“A Tale of Two Tribes” in Time Out London Walks, Vol. 2, edited by Andrew White (London: Penguin, 2001), p. 240-247;
“On My Bookshelf,” featured essay series, in Sable: A LitMag for Writers (London: SAKS Publications), beginning in Spring 2001;
“Ledbury Street,” in Voices for Peace, edited by Anna Kiernan (London: Scribners, 2001), p. 15;
“Flight of Freedom,” in Chris Ofili: Freedom One Day, edited by Newland (London: Victoria Miro Gallery, 2002), n.p.;
Tell Tales, Volume I: Short Story Anthology, edited by Newland and Nii Ayikwei Parkes (London: Tell Tales, 2004);
Tell Tales, The Anthology of Short Stories, edited by Newland and Rajeev Balasubramanyam (London: Tell Tales, 2005);
“Notes from New Land,” short essay series, in Sable: A LitMag for Writers (London: SAKS Publications), beginning in Summer 2006;
“Smile, Mannequin, Smile,” in So, What Kept You?, edited by Claire Malcolm and Margaret Wilkinson (Newcastle: Flambard Press, 2006), pp. 113—132;
“The Double Room,” in The Mechanic’s Institute Review, edited by Julia Bell (London: MIR, 2006), pp. 245—264.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS...UNCOLLECTED: "The Depth of Perception,” 18 January 2000, available online at http://www.myvillage.co.uk/urbanfactor/essays.htm (accessed 20 May 2007).