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

Join us in the heart of London for in-person classes. Our modern campus in Covent Garden is easy to reach and buzzing with creativity. With modern purpose-built facilities and state-of-the-art equipment, it’s the perfect space to support your learning journey. Explore our facilities >

Prefer learning online? Our live online courses bring expert teaching to you, wherever you are.

Whether you choose to study in-person or online, all our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. Wherever and however you want to learn, we’re here for you.

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 £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £84.00
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  2. Japanese novellas and short stories
    Course start date:  Fri 24 Jan 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Lewis Ward
    Short stories offer a brief window into a variety of other lives, places, and situations. This literary form has remained popular in Japan over several centuries, with topics as diverse as natural disasters, the beauty of everyday life, hellish curses and the consequences of fame. We’ll explore the history of this medium through a selection of short stories by some of Japan’s most popular short story authors.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £77.00
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  3. Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £75.00
    Rating:
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  4. Between Greece and Rome: Etruscan art
    Course start date:  Fri 28 Feb 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Simone Chisena
    Explore the figurative world of the elusive Etruscan civilization - from lavish painted tombs to enigmatic terracotta urns and majestic bronze sculptures.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £84.00
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  5. Exploring film directors
    Evening
    Course start date:  Fri 2 May 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Jon Wisbey
    Seen as the unifying and creative force in a film, directors have become important for both an audience's engagement and a film's marketing and 'positioning'. This course explores the work of a range of directors, or 'auteurs', their approach to filmmaking and their thematic interests, while assessing the concept of authorship and the contexts in which a director's work is produced and consumed.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £77.00
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  6. Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £77.00
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  7. Art in medieval Italy: the Kingdom of Lombardy and its impact
    Course start date:  Fri 2 May 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Simone Chisena
    Discover the rich artistic heritage of the first Kings of Italy, the tenacious warriors who first rule the country.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £84.00
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  8. Art in Britain since 2000: where are we now?
    Course start date:  Fri 9 May 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Chantal Condron
    Discover how exciting, new UK-based artists use both experimental and traditional approaches to art to address issues of identity, history and personal experience.
    Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £84.00
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  9. Poets of the Silver Age, the Revolution and the Terror
    Course start date:  Fri 13 Jun 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Stephen Winfield
    This course will look, decade by decade, at the leading figures of the generation caught up in the turmoil of the Revolution whose lives and poetry together form a veritable seismograph of the unfolding tragedy. Their extraordinary interrelationships and the originality and power of their writing constitute one of the richest periods in the history of Russian Literature.
    Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00
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