History, culture & writing - Keeley Street

Explore History, Culture & Writing

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. Women in ancient Rome
    Course start date:  Fri 26 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  William Sterling
    Women's position in the Ancient Roman world was important as they played important roles in the home, in business, in religion and even in politics.
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  2. Italian cinema: from Neorealism to the genre film
    Evening
    Course start date:  Fri 26 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Cristina Massaccesi
    This 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 £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £64.00
  3. Private portraits: painted miniatures in early modern Europe
    Course start date:  Fri 26 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Elizabeth Eyres
    Portrait miniatures are some of the most exquisite and beguiling likenesses ever produced. Their tiny scale and painstaking creation give them an intricacy, intimacy and sense of intrigue. These often reflect the circumstances in which they were gifted to their new owners by the person commissioning them, and both the images and their wider contexts repay our close study on this course.
    Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £64.00
  4. The Worlds of Contemporary Travel Literature
    Evening
    Course start date:  Fri 3 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Rebecca Jones
    Explore new directions in contemporary travel literature, as authors from across the world take the genre beyond the colonial European gaze that once characterised it. We examine themes such as diaspora, postcolonialism, language and ethics, looking at classic texts by Caryl Phillips, Pico Iyer and Jamaica Kincaid, and recent works by Emmanuel Iduma, Noo Saro-Wiwa, and Raja Shehadeh.
    Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £64.00
  5. The capital of the Safavid Empire: Shah Abbas I and the transformation of Isfahan (1501-1736)
    Course start date:  Fri 17 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Roberta Marin
    This course will trace the origins and development of the Safavid dynasty and the ongoing conflicts with the Ottoman neighbours. The choice of Isfahan as the capital of the empire will be also analysed.
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
  6. A divided dynasty: the Great Seljuks in Iran (1040-1157) and the Sejuks of Rum in Anatolia (1081-1307)
    Course start date:  Fri 7 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Roberta Marin
    After leaving behind the steppes of Central Asia, the Seljuks abandoned nomadism, converted to Islam and settled in Iran and later also in Anatolia.
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
  7. The Ottomans and the Sublime Porte (1299-1922): Istanbul's control of the Mediterranean and the Balkans
    Course start date:  Fri 21 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Roberta Marin
    This course will offer an insight into the long and complex history of the Ottoman empire and of Istanbul, its iconic capital.
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
  8. Women in Ancient Greece
    Course start date:  Fri 28 Jun 2024 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  William Sterling
    In this course we shall examine women in myth, women in religion and the everyday life of women. It will conclude with a visit to the British Museum.
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
  9. The Etruscans
    Course start date:  Fri 1 Nov 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  William Sterling
    Discover the mysterious people who lived in Central Italy and ended up being enveloped by the Romans.
    Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
    Rating:
    93% of 100
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