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.
- Performance poetry
Course start date: Sat 10 Jun 2023 (and 2 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Megan BeechWrite poetry and perform it, finding your own style and delivery under the guidance of a spoken word artist. Explore the differences between performance and other forms of poetry.Full fee £69.00 - The lost town of Lundenwic: mid-Saxon London 600-900 CECourse start date: Sat 10 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Stuart BrookesLook at the least known episodes in London's history, Lundenwic (AD 600-900) and Lundenburh (AD 900-1000).
Includes an introductory lecture and a guided walk.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - The Aztecs Course start date: Sat 10 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Max CarocciDiscover one of the great New World civilisations and their achievements - the Aztecs of Mexico.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Dickens' London Course start date: Sat 10 Jun 2023 (and 2 other dates)
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 £59.00 - A taste of creative writing Course start date: Sat 1 Jul 2023 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vicky GrutGive creative writing a try on this fun and supportive short course. Ideal if you want to express yourself but need help in getting started. Guided exercises will encourage you to experiment and unlock your imagination.Full fee £69.00 - Up close and personal with Greek archaeological treasuresCourse start date: Sat 17 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah Merali-SmithDiscover stunning objects from ancient Greece and the evidence they provide for the lives of ancient people. Spend the afternoon having a close look at the British Museum's collection.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Art of Islamic SpainCourse start date: Sat 24 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Roberta MarinDiscover the art and architecture of Spain during the Arab domination (711-1493).Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Focus on: 19th-century fashion Course start date: Sat 24 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersExplore the relationship between nineteenth-century society, from the Napoleonic era to the suffrage movement, and men’s and women’s fashions which witnessed constant change, restrictions, extremes and the start of the dress reform movement.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - The compulsion to repeat in cinema: From Groundhog Day to MementoCourse start date: Sat 1 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Paul SuttonThere are a surprising number of films that make use of repetition as a motif or as a structuring device for their narratives. Two particularly celebrated examples are Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis 1993 US) and Memento (Christopher Nolan 2000 UK/US). This course will explore this phenomenon, by referencing psychoanalytic film theory and the idea of the repetition compulsion, but also through the detailed analysis of both of these films.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Focus on: 20th-century fashion Course start date: Sat 1 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rachel SandersExplore the ever-changing statement of identity that was twentieth-century fashion through the study of key designers and significant social and political events that shaped the clothes we wore.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Disease, death and mummies in Ancient Egypt Course start date: Sat 1 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rosalind JanssenLiving and dying with disease; being buried and mummified in Ancient Egypt. What are the latest discoveries and theories? Who is carrying out this work, and what are the ethical considerations? Human remains will be explored in a museum setting.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Writing black out poetry Course start date: Sat 1 Jul 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah WestcottSometimes a poem is shaped by stripping words away. This fun day workshop explores the emerging form of black out poetry. Learn how to find hidden poems in texts such as newspaper articles, advertisements and letters.Full fee £69.00 - Art history taster
Course start date: Fri 7 Jul 2023 (and 17 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayEver wondered what art history is but don’t want to commit to a whole course? This taster explores some of the ways art historians come to their interpretion art. Build your confidence in looking at art by learning what art and art history really are.Full fee £10.00 - Dressing up in Ancient EgyptCourse start date: Sat 8 Jul 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rosalind JanssenWhat can surviving textiles tell us about the minutiae of daily life in Ancient Egypt? We will consider how the Egyptians wove such fine linen, what other fabrics were available, how they pleated their party dresses, and how often and they washed their underwear. A local museum visit brings all to life.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £59.00 Concession £59.00 - Philosophy of artCourse start date: Sat 8 Jul 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Christopher HornerWhy do we value art? For the pleasure it gives us, the emotion it expresses, its truthfulness, its form? In this introduction to the philosophy of art we will consider various approaches to these questions and others.Full fee £59.00
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