Culture, history & humanities

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.

Courses available both in-person and online

We offer a range of long and short courses allowing you to choose between in-person and online learning.

Learn in the centre of London with our in-person courses. Our purpose-built facilities in Covent Garden mean we are ideally located and easy to get to. 

See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.

All our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. No matter how you prefer to learn, we've got the class for you.

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  1. Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  2. Masters of style: reading and writing Hemingway
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 16 Nov 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Phyllis Richardson
    Ernest 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.
    Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  3. Study day: Surrealism - everything you’ve wanted to know, but were to afraid to ask
    Last Few Places, Weekend
    Course start date:  Sun 17 Nov 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Chantal Condron
    The Surrealist movement marks its centenary in October 2024, marking the moment that the First Surrealist Manifesto was launched in Paris led by its chief protagonist, André Breton. Come and celebrate this art historical landmark in this special workshop dedicated to Surrealist art. Get closer to the roots of the movement, discover its leading and less well-known artists; have a go at automatic drawing; and engage with Surrealism’s central themes of the dream world, unconscious and desire.
    Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
  4. The ghost story on the television and the big screen
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 23 Nov 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Jon Wisbey
    Explore 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
  5. An introduction to Japanese anime: history, genres and authors
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 23 Nov 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Cristina Massaccesi
    What 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
  6. The Amaravati stupa: an ancient, colonial and contemporary history
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 23 Nov 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Arjmand Aziz
    Examine the history, architecture, aesthetics and religious significance of the Amaravati stupa. Admire parts of it during the visit at the British Museum.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00
  7. Emily Dickinson – ‘Open me carefully’
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 30 Nov 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Laurie Smith
    We explore how the myth of Emily Dickinson’s solitary life was shaped by others. The course investigates the reality behind the myth through letters and poems written to and shared with her great friend and confidante, Susan Gilbert, over many years. We also look at how and why her first editor, Mabel Loomis Todd, set about excluding Susan from the record, establishing Emily as a recluse, writing for herself alone.
    Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
  8. Autobiography into fiction: getting started
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 30 Nov 2024 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Nick Barlay
    Learn 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
  9. Film studies taster
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 30 Nov 2024 (and 5 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Paul Sutton
    Learn how to evaluate and discuss films while enjoying a working example of a City Lit Film Studies class. In this class we will view and explore clips from a number of films, including popular remakes, enabling us to consider and compare themes and techniques from differing filmmaking countries. There will be a chance to review – in brief – film courses at City Lit (January - March 2025).
    Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00
  10. Queen of Egyptology: Amelia Edwards
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 30 Nov 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Rosalind Janssen
    Famed 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
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