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.
- Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
- Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00
- Study day: Impressionism – radical styleCourse start date: Sat 9 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersExplore the Impressionist movement, focusing on Monet as its key example, considering such issues as stylistic progress, artistic influences, material developments, modern subject matter, and social context.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Dante's Divine Comedy: an introductionCourse start date: Sat 16 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Francesco BucciolThe Divine Comedy is an imaginary journey through the three realms of the afterlife, a fascinating compendium of life in 14th century Italy. Dante's ability to depict humanity in all its aspects is timelss and has fascinated readers ever since. - Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
- Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00
- Masters of style: reading and writing HemingwayCourse start date: Sat 16 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Phyllis RichardsonErnest Hemingway was the master of minimalist short fiction. While writing drafts, he pared his writing down to what he felt was 'true'. This day workshop explores the literary interpretations of two of his seminal short stories and writing exercises that encourage you to experiment with Hemingway's style. - The ghost story on the television and the big screenCourse start date: Sat 23 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Jon WisbeyExplore and enjoy the ghost story through big screen classics such as The Uninvited (1944), The Innocents (1961) and The Haunting (1963), and small screen dramas such as The Stone Tape (1972) and the BBC's Ghost Story for Christmas tradition - for example, The Signalman (1976). We will also consider the genre's key themes and storytelling styles along with its relationship with horror generally.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - An introduction to Japanese anime: history, genres and authorsCourse start date: Sat 23 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cristina MassaccesiWhat is anime? What are the artistic and narrative features that make these films so instantly recognizable? This one-day film course will provide an overview of the history of Japanese animation cinema, its inextricable links with manga and its multi-faceted and varied productions that range from children’s films to genres such as cyberpunk and yaoi. During the course, we will watch and discuss clips from a variety of production companies and directors, such as Miyazaki Hayao, Mushi Pro and Kon Satoshi.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Study day: Cubism and its impact – from orphism to futurismCourse start date: Sat 23 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersExplore the Cubism, focusing on Picasso as its key example, and the movements it influenced including Orphism, Futurism, and Vorticism, considering such issues as formal and material experimentation, and social context.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Autobiography into fiction: getting startedCourse start date: Sat 30 Nov 2024 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Nick BarlayLearn how to turn real-life experiences into gripping fiction in this fun short course for fiction writing beginners and experienced writers. Develop your writing skills and explore techniques for transforming personal stories into strong narratives.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Queen of Egyptology: Amelia EdwardsCourse start date: Sat 30 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rosalind JanssenFamed Victorian novelist and travel writer, skilled artist, intrepid and renowned Egyptologist. No wonder that London born Amelia Blanford Edwards (1831-1892) was dubbed the ‘Queen of Egyptology’ by her American fans. Our concentration is on her legacy to London, and we end our day by visiting one of her enduring foundations in the capital: UCL’s Petrie Museum.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Study day: Rothko, Pollock and Abstract ExpressionismCourse start date: Sat 30 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersExplore the Abstract Expressionist movement, focusing on Pollock and Rothko as its key examples, considering
issues such as the movement’s social and political context, artistic influences, and stylistic progress.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Study day: Pop Art, from Warhol to HockneyCourse start date: Sat 7 Dec 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersStudy work of artists such as David Hockney, Richard Hamilton, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol within the context of the international Pop Art movement and the changing world of mass culture, consumerism, and celebrity.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Creative writing: getting startedCourse start date: Sat 9 Nov 2024 (and 9 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Henry MartinGive creative writing a try on this fun and supportive short course. Ideal if you want to express yourself but need help in getting started. Guided exercises will encourage you to experiment and unlock your imagination.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00
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