Explore History, Politics & Economics
Whether you’re fascinated by the past, wishing to keep up to date with current affairs, or to develop a deeper understanding of democracy and capitalism, we have the course for you.
City Lit offers a wide range of history, politics and economics courses on weekdays, evenings and weekends. Our courses vary from skills-based courses on oral and family history projects, to the history of empire, the history of London and the study of global powers and international politics.
Gain critical thinking and analytical skills
Courses in the Humanities help you understand our world today, and the history that has informed the political, social and economic dynamics of modern times. Our courses, including short day courses, lectures and longer-term study over several weeks or whole terms, aim to inform you of the issues that interest and matter to you. Our courses also encourage the development of wider skills such as critical thinking and analysis, listening and discussion skills, and evidence-based interpretation.
Learn from expert tutors
Our tutors are experts in their fields and come from a range of backgrounds, and include academics, experienced educators, serving politicians, acclaimed authors and renowned guides.
Browse our range of courses below to choose your perfect option: both complete beginners and returning students are equally welcome.
- Roses, Rivalries, and Revolts: Power and People in Fifteenth-Century EnglandCourse start date: Fri 9 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingAfter Larry Olivier’s / Kenneth Branagh’s victory at Agincourt, it was downhill for England until the advent of the Tudors! We explode that Shakespearian myth.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - Bad Queens of England? Eleanor of Aquitaine and Isabella of AngoulemeCourse start date: Sat 10 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vanessa KingEleanor failed to produce a son for Louis VII and urged her sons by Henry II to rebellion. Isabella abandoned her children by King John to start anew in France with her daughter’s fiancé. We consider their roles as queens.Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00 - Dickens' London
Course start date: Sat 10 May 2025 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Molly Rumbelow'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.' Enjoy this introduction to Dickens' work and the London of his time. Morning lecture at City Lit followed by a walk in the area of the city connected to his work.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Plague, famine and war: Fourteenth century Europe Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vanessa KingNo sooner had the Great Famine of 1315-22 taken its toll then along came the Black Death to wipe out half the remaining population but there was also a flourishing of art and literature.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00 - Black British Studies: Beyond WindrushCourse start date: Mon 12 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Michele ScottJoin a journey of the examination of the modern day complexities and critical deconstruction of contemporary Black British Life.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00 - Terrific Tudors: Act Three: Social lifeCourse start date: Mon 12 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vanessa KingExplore the everyday life of men and women during the closing years of the Tudors as revealed in the works of local historians and other contemporary material.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - A Very British History of MigrationCourse start date: Mon 12 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Siobhan McGuirkTaking a critical historical approach, this course with Dr. McGuirk charts how migration has shaped British politics, law, culture and society – and helped transform popular ideas about what it means to be British today.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £84.00 - Global encounters: Europe and the Ottoman Empire, 1100-1700Course start date: Tue 13 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingThe Turks entered European consciousness in 1071 when they captured the Byzantine emperor at the Battle of Manzikert. So began centuries of uneasy co-existence between Christians and Muslims on the fringes of Europe.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - Ruling Russia: Tsars, Revolutions, Civil War , and the Triumph of Lenin (1860-1924)Course start date: Tue 13 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Zoe QuinnThis course explores the transformative period of Russian history from 1860 to 1924, encompassing the autocratic rule of the Tsars, the revolutionary upheavals of 1905 and 1917, the chaos of the civil war, and the consolidation of the Bolshevik regime. Students will examine key events, figures, and ideologies that shaped modern Russia, delving into the complexities of political, social, and economic changes during this era.
Please note: this course includes much of the material covered in previous Russian Revolution courses at the City Lit. Moreover this course is taught at an introductory level. Tutor: Zoe Quinn.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £110.00 - The Rise and Fall of the British Empire: Part 2 From World Dominance to Decolonialisation 1914-1960Course start date: Wed 14 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Colm HickeyIn 1914 Britain was undoubtedly the world’s super power. It was stronger than America, Russia, Germany or China. Yet, by 1960 this had all changed as recognised by the British Prime Minister, Harold MacMillan who announced the process of decolonialisation in his winds of change speech in South Africa in 1960.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - History of MuseumsCourse start date: Wed 14 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Olivia DurandDiscover the rich history of museum collections, their role in preserving cultural heritage, and their evolving connections with communities. Engage with critical debates on heritage, representation, and decolonisation.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - A Social History of England in 12 Objects: From the Tudors to the VictoriansCourse start date: Fri 16 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingWhat do Henry VIII’s rosary and the Golden Boy of Pye Corner tell us about Tudor and Stuart England? Study these and other items to build a comprehensive picture of social life in England over four centuries.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Medicine in the Middle AgesCourse start date: Sat 17 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vanessa KingTo treat an excess of phlegm make a steam inhaler from boiled ants. For burns and scalds apply snail slime. If you would like more useful medical and cosmetic tips with no guarantees of success, this course is for you.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £69.00 - Keepers of Stories: researching your family historyCourse start date: Wed 21 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Join Jenneba to build confidence and skills to get into your family history!Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £64.00 - Black Latin AmericaCourse start date: Wed 21 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Anna GrimaldiThis course introduces and critically examines the concept of a Black or African Latin America through the region’s history, philosophy, activism, politics, diaspora, memory and culture.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £51.00
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