Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses
Explore our extraordinary range of History, Culture and Writing courses and lectures. We offer both introductory and specialist in-depth courses to suit all levels of interest and experience, from ‘How to read a film’ and World literature, to Creative non-fiction writing courses and American history and Politics courses.
Our tutors are experts in their fields and experienced educators; many have published, teach in universities or share their expertise in the media. Tutors share their knowledge and passion through presentations, readings, interactive discussion and exercises, analysis, and other activities.
Many students return to take more courses, telling us they enjoy being part of our City Lit Learning community.
Our popular courses often sell out quickly, so we invite you to browse and book your place now.
- Craft focus: grammar, syntax and style for creative writers - getting started
Course start date: Sat 10 May 2025 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Online
Tutors: William BradyGreat poetry and prose begin when the writer puts the right words in the right places. Learn how and why the rules and conventions of language matter in this new course, which combines creative writing with a review of essential points of grammar.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Writing and rewriting fairytales Course start date: Sun 11 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: KR MoorheadOnce upon a time there was a City Lit workshop all about writing fairytales. The quest: to inspire writers to pen stories of love, fear, forests, revenge, dragons, witches, kings, queens, frogs and magic.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Writing flash fiction: getting started Course start date: Sun 3 Aug 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Lucy PopescuA sideways glance: succinct, powerful. This short workshop on the essential components of flash fiction will teach you to tell a complete story in very few words.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Hitchcock's Horror Thrillers 2: The Birds, scene by sceneCourse start date: Sun 5 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Jon WisbeyHitchcock's The Birds (1963), sees the director exploring a familiar theme: the 'romantic couple' tested by suspenseful events. But unlike his glossy 1950s hits, Hitchcock opts for muted visuals and performances in an unflinching examination of femininity under threat and masculine cruelty, framed by a dystopian revenge of nature narrative. Explore the master's last great film, scene by scene.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Craft focus: introduction to novel plotting Course start date: Sun 18 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Online
Explore different approaches to novel plotting and learn how to plot your own novel successfully in this short course suitable for those who have begun writing a novel.
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