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
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  2. Christmas at the cinema
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 14 Dec 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  John Wischmeyer
    Carefully-curated Christmas cornucopia overflows with seasonal films, from new entry The Holdovers (2023 Alexander Payne) to Home Alone (1990 Chris Columbus/John Hughes). This is a celebration of the genre of the Christmas film packed with clips and hidden gems: Scrooge (1951 Brian Desmond Hurst) remixed as a film noir, Lindsay Anderson’s Every Day Except Christmas (1957), his film about the old Covent Garden market later seen in My Fair Lady (1964) or Hitchcock’s Frenzy (1972) just before it closed down. Full of delights, discussions and a grown man dressed as an Elf (2003).
    Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
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  3. History of ideas: the invention of Christmas
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 14 Dec 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Angela Platt
    Beginning around the middle of the 19th century, a ‘new Christmas’ came into the fore; a reinvented Christmas, if you will. Why did this Christmas shift as it did – to produce the modern celebration many people still enjoy today? In this course, the stories of those groups and individuals who impacted this ‘reinvention of Christmas’ will be shared.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £19.00
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  4. Film studies taster
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 4 Jan 2025 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Jon Wisbey
    Explore some of the themes you can expect to encounter on City Lit film classes. This taster of forthcoming classes offers you the chance to decide which course to take while discussing the value and impact of film study.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00
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  5. Masters of cinema: Elia Kazan and the Method
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 18 Jan 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  John Wischmeyer
    Elia Kazan bestrode the fifties: a very successful New York stage director who co-founded the Actor’s Studio in 1947 and was then lured to Hollywood. The Actor’s Studio achieved worldwide fame in record time because of the groundbreaking work of three Method-trained actors: Montgomery Clift, Marlon Brando and James Dean; and four landmark films: A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), On the Waterfront (1954) East of Eden (1955) and Baby Doll (1956)—all directed by Elia Kazan. “Of all the major directors at our studio, I most respected the genius of Hitchcock and Elia Kazan and left them alone to do as they wanted” - Jack Warner. As one of his actors put it: Kazan “was, by far, the greatest director I have ever worked with. A few words from him and you had a full idea of how to play each scene.”.
    Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
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  6. Ghetto uprising 1943: Jewish life and death in Warsaw
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 18 Jan 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  David Rosenberg
    In April 1943, some 40,000 starving people were still incarcerated in terrible conditions within the Warsaw Ghetto. A few hundred among them – predominantly young people – led an armed rebellion against the Nazis. This course conveys the incredible story of their uprising but also reveals the background of Warsaw's vibrant but increasingly endangered Jewish life in the decades before the uprising. It describes the many forms of resistance that took place after the Nazi invasion, highlights key individuals who played a role, and provides an opportunity to reflects on different aspects of this tragic but inspiring episode during the Holocaust.
    Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
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  7. An introduction to poetry: Robert Lowell and Stevie Smith
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 18 Jan 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Laurie Smith
    Come and join an introduction and exploration of the poetry of Robert Lowell and Stevie Smith. We will read, discuss and enjoy a selection of their poetry and consider how the poets shape our responses.
    Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00
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  8. Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £31.00 Concession £25.00
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  9. Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00
    Rating:
    88% of 100
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  10. Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
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  11. Craft focus: mastering descriptive language
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 25 Jan 2025

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sophie McKenzie
    Descriptive language can provide texture and clarity to a story, promoting reader engagement and a sensory experience. In this short course, learn how to create vivid descriptions that will elevate your prose. This course will support writers of fiction and non-fiction.



    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
    Rating:
    89% of 100
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  12. Writing flash fiction: getting started
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 1 Feb 2025 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Suzannah V. Evans
    Flash fiction is the art of telling small stories that make a big impact. Learn how to harness the power of economy in this practical short course. Suitable for those with some experience of creative writing.



    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
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  13. Tutankhamun: The Pharaoh behind the Gold Mask
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 1 Feb 2025

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Rosalind Janssen
    Go behind the Gold Mask and get to know the real Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Where was he born and raised, and who were his parents? Did he have a coronation and how long did he rule? What happened during his reign? Did he have children, and how and when did he die? We discover whether the famous tomb and its contents helps to answer any of these questions. The final session will be a visit to the Petrie Museum to examine artefacts which reveal Tutankhamun and his times.
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
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  14. Autobiography into fiction: getting started
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 15 Feb 2025 (and 2 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
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  15. Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00
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