Introductory Literature Courses
Our introductory literature courses invite you to explore different genres across a range of periods. Whether you are interested in poetry, fiction, or drama, our introductory courses – online or in-person - will help you to develop your close reading skills, along with your knowledge, understanding and appreciation of some great works of literature.
- Literature taster
Course start date: Sat 29 Mar 2025 (and 2 other dates)Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Patricia SweeneyDo you want to explore how to go about understanding a poem? How to do a close reading of a work of fiction? Come and join this online taster session to find out what makes a literature class at City Lit so special.
The course also presents an overview of our literature offering for term three in fiction, poetry, drama and literary non-fiction (April-July 2025).
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 - Literature Taster: Shakespeare Course start date: Thu 11 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sophie OxenhamCurious about studying Shakespeare? Join us for this taster session in which we explore aspects of two of his plays: the tragedy, Hamlet and the comedy, As You Like It. - Introduction to Global LiteratureCourse start date: Sat 20 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rebecca JonesAre you curious about reading literature from across the world? Would you like to encounter some of the world’s finest literary works, reading across cultures and national borders, and in translation? This in-college session will give you a flavour of what it’s like to study and explore what global literature is, reading excerpts from major works.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Exploring literature: an introduction to prose and poetryCourse start date: Thu 2 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kate WilkinsonThis course introduces you to a range of prose and poetry from the nineteenth century to the present. Learn about how poems work, both ‘on the page’ and as spoken words. Reading novels and short stories, we’ll explore characterisation, the social and historical contexts of the works and writers’ techniques. Come and discover what’s distinctive about different forms of literature.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - Literature taster: Jane AustenCourse start date: Thu 11 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sophie OxenhamIn this 250th anniversary year of Jane Austen’s birth, join us for a taste of what makes Austen so special. We’ll be enjoying extracts from her early novel, Northanger Abbey, learning more about how she engaged with the literary culture of her time and her innovative narrative techniques.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Literature taster: contemporary fiction Course start date: Thu 27 Mar 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Patricia SweeneyEver wondered what studying a Literature course at City Lit is like? Tempted to try, but not ready to commit to a whole course? Try this taster session on contemporary fiction to boost your confidence and whet your appetite for further study!
Includes information on the Literature programme offering for term three, which runs from April to July 2025.Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00
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