Fernie believes in the politics of culture, as evinced by his Redcrosse[4] project promoting a civic liturgy for St George's Day and his advocacy of Shakespeare as European Laureate.

[5] He is centrally involved in the University of Birmingham's five-year collaboration with the Royal Shakespeare Company at its newly reopened studio theatre, The Other Place.

Fernie's critical work is characterised by passionate intellectual engagement and the belief that art and literature can really connect with and even shape personal, political and religious life.

His main area of specialism is Shakespeare but his interests extend to European writers and philosophers, among them Dostoevsky, Hegel, Mann, Nietzsche, Luther and others, as evidenced in his critically acclaimed The Demonic: Literature and Experience (2012).

This was performed in major cathedrals, attracted a BNP protest, and was published by Bloomsbury, before being adopted by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Fernie has also written poetry for the acclaimed Ex Cathedra choir's Candlelight concerts in Birmingham, London and other places.

Fernie also contributed to the British Council's project 'Shakespeare Lives' in celebration of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death in 2016[23] where he addressed large audiences especially in Belgrade and Budapest.

The 'Everything to Everybody' Project aims to use Birmingham's forgotten past to inspire our future and to unlock the world's first people's Shakespeare Library for all.