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.
- Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs: part 2Course start date: Fri 9 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Hugo CookFollow-on course from the Introduction. This four-week course uses British Museum objects related to ancient Egypt to broaden and deepen students' knowledge of Egyptian Hieroglyphs. The course will be held in Covent Garden, with frequent visits to the British Museum.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - The Legacies of the empire in conflicts in West and Central Africa after IndependenceCourse start date: Fri 16 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sunday Abraham OgunodeJoin us to explore the legacies of empire in conflicts in West and Cental Africa.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £77.00 - Ways into creative writing: intensiveCourse start date: Fri 31 Oct 2025 (and 9 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lucy PopescuNot sure whether creative writing is for you? Give it a try on one of these fun and supportive short courses covering the basics of fiction and poetry. Increase your confidence and produce work through guided exercises and discussion.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £80.00 - Ways into creative writing: a gentle paceCourse start date: Wed 11 Jun 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Henry MartinAre you brand new to creative writing? Do you want to build your confidence in a supportive environment alongside other beginners? This gentle short-course guides students taking their first steps on the path to becoming a creative writer.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £75.00 - Art history tasterCourse start date: Tue 1 Jul 2025 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayCurious about art history? Join us for this taster session where we explore different ways into visual art and its histories from the ancient to the contemporary.Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00 - Ways into creative writingCourse start date: Mon 28 Apr 2025 (and 16 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Claire CollisonWant to have a go at creative writing in a supportive environment? Join one of these introductory courses. Guided exercises will give you the tools to explore language creatively and find your own writing voice.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £120.00 - Film and Philosophy: Thinking through CinemaCourse start date: Fri 26 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Is The Matrix a science-fiction movie starring Keanu Reeves, or the most influential work of philosophy of the last fifty years? Who is more nihilistic, Humphrey Bogart or Frederic Nietszche? In this course, we will examine the relationship between film and philosophy, engaging with current debates in film theory and in wider society. We will consider whether it is appropriate to label film as a form of philosophy, how film acts as philosophy, and the ways in which our experiences of watching film helps up to think through ideas about the human experience that have received attention amongst centuries of philosophical literature. Is film merely entertainment, or is it our most important form of philosophy?Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00 - Poetry of the Troubles: Seamus Heaney and his ContemporariesCourse start date: Fri 3 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lewis WardOn this in-college literature course we will read Seamus Heaney’s North (1975), his first collection to deal explicitly with the Troubles in Northern Ireland, alongside poems on the same theme by contemporaries including Michael Longley, Seamus Deane and Derek Mahon. - The Contemporary Global NovelCourse start date: Fri 7 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rebecca JonesAre you curious about reading contemporary global literature? Would you like to understand what we mean by the ‘global novel’, reading across cultures and national borders? This in-college course will introduce you to the study of global literature through reading three brilliant 21st century global novels: Mohsin Hamid’s Exit West, Rana Dasgupta’s Tokyo Cancelled and Julie Otsuka’s Buddha in the Attic.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00 - Italian cinema: from Neorealism to the genre filmCourse start date: Fri 2 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cristina MassaccesiThis cinema course focuses on Italian cinema in the years between 1945 and 1980. It will provide you with an overview of the main historical, cultural and social aspects of Italian filmmaking in Italy by looking at the work of some of its most influential author/directors.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £77.00
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