Literature Courses in London
Explore our exciting range of Literature courses, from Literary History, to specialist courses in Fiction, Poetry and Drama. We offer introductory and in-depth courses to suit all levels of interest and experience, where you can revisit classic texts and discover new writers.
Study in-person or online from the comfort of home, with classes that allow you to participate in discussions with fellow adult students and share your passion for literature as part of a learning community. We offer daytime, evening and weekend courses, both short and long.
Our tutors are experts in their fields and experienced educators; many also teach in universities or share their expertise in the media. Tutors share their knowledge and passion for fiction, poetry and drama through presentations, readings, interactive discussion, analysis, and other activities.
Many students return to take more courses, telling us they enjoy being part of our City Lit literary community; others are inspired to progress onto university study.
Our popular courses often sell out quickly, so we invite you to browse and book your place now.
- Get together and readCourse start date: Thu 2 May 2024 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Claire AllenEnjoy talking with other people about the things you have read? Want to share great stories, poems and drama? Come along and join the conversation. The group is led by a shared reading practitioner trained by The Reader Organisation.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £50.00 - Beckett and The Divine Comedy: a lifelong influenceCourse start date: Thu 13 Jun 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Stephen WinfieldExplore the intimate relationship between Beckett’s universe of unbelief, presided over by a Godot who never comes, and Dante’s poem, the most exalted, vastly influential literary expression of medieval Christianity, whose presence can be felt everywhere in the Irishman’s long oeuvre, in every genre – in his plays, novels, stories, poems, essays - and at every stage of his career. What brought them together, and what were the results?Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £64.00 - Queer Storytelling: writing as a radical actCourse start date: Sun 16 Jun 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Megan BeechThis one day short course will explore the writing of two contemporary queer writers, both of whom use innovative form to tell unique stories of lesbian and trans experience. We'll look at the exhilarating, T.S Eliot Prize winning, C+nto and Othered Poems (2021) by Joelle Taylor and Variations (2022).Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - A journey through Boccaccio's DecameronCourse start date: Sat 6 Jul 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Francesco BucciolThe Decameron is one of the early literary works in the Italian language and it had a significant influence on many other writers. Come and discover the genesis of the novel and some of the stories that still resonate with readers today.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - The East End in Fact and FictionCourse start date: Sat 28 Sep 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah WiseCovering the early 19th century to the early 20th century, we will examine the East End and analyse how it was portrayed in works of fiction, thinking about how imaginative fiction and historical fact intertwine to create local legend.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Literary werewolves and vampiresCourse start date: Sat 19 Oct 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Megan BeechOn this short course we will explore the way in which authors in the nineteenth century created and shaped what we write and think about vampires and werewolves today. We will read extracts from Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla alongside various short stories, penny dreadfuls, and news articles from the period.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Great works: Mary Shelley's FrankensteinCourse start date: Thu 14 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sophie OxenhamThis course explores Mary Shelley’s iconic novel, Frankenstein. We will consider the novel’s literary, socio-political, philosophical, and scientific contexts, alongside thinking about its narrative themes and techniques. We’ll also touch upon its rich ‘afterlife’, thinking about some of the ways the novel has been reimagined in later adaptations, and asking why this story continues to have such resonance today.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Dante's Divine Comedy: an introductionCourse start date: Sat 16 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Francesco BucciolThe Divine Comedy is an imaginary journey through the three realms of the afterlife, a fascinating compendium of life in 14th century Italy. Dante's ability to depict humanity in all its aspects is timelss and has fascinated readers ever since. - Masters of style: reading and writing HemingwayCourse start date: Sat 16 Nov 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Phyllis RichardsonErnest Hemingway was the master of minimalist short fiction. While writing drafts, he pared his writing down to what he felt was 'true'. This day workshop explores the literary interpretations of two of his seminal short stories and writing exercises that encourage you to experiment with Hemingway's style.
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