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.
Study in-person at City Lit or offsite, or online from the comfort of home, with interactive classes that allow you to participate in discussions with fellow adult students. We offer daytime, evening and weekend courses, both short and long. For more information on our online courses, please see our guide to online learning.
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.
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- Write a short story in a weekend
Course start date: Sat 22 Jan 2022 (and 5 other dates)Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Maria ThomasTurn your great idea into a short story on this fun practical course. Through a series of inspiring exercises, you'll be introduced to some key fiction writing techniques and encouraged to draft a short story from beginning to end. Suitable for beginners who are comfortable learning at a fast pace. Please note: this course has a 2-hr break each session from 12:30-14:30.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £40.00 - Creation myths in the ancient near EastCourse start date: Sat 22 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Ann JeffersCome and explore with us the idea of ‘myth’. We will look at creation myths in Ugarit, in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, ancient Greece and in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £36.00 - How to write a book about your expert knowledgeLearn to write about your specialist expertise in a way that will appeal to a wider reading audience.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £28.00 - Focus on: Leonardo da VinciCourse start date: Sat 22 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayArtist, scientist, and ‘Renaissance Man’ Leonardo da Vinci is considered one of the greatest minds in history. We look at his inspirations, his theories and some of his major works.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £42.00 - Craft focus: mastering descriptive languageCourse start date: Sat 22 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sophie McKenzieDescriptive language can provide texture and clarity to a story, promoting reader engagement and a sensory experience that lingers long after the text has been read. In this short course learn how to create vivid descriptions with sentences that will elevate your prose. This course will support writers of fiction and non-fiction.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £28.00 - Think like an artist: in 16th century VeniceCourse start date: Sun 23 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Julia MusgraveFind out how the art of the mercantile republic of 16th century Venice reflects its unique location, trade routes and society.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £42.00 - US controversies: The Ku Klux Klan (KKK)Course start date: Sun 23 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Brian KennedyThis is a one-day course which will provide an overview of the Ku Klux Klan and its role in American history.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £31.00 Concession £20.00 - Russian poets: Anna Akhmatova and Osip MandelstamCourse start date: Sun 23 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Stephen WinfieldAn evaluation, through close reading and discussion, of some of the most celebrated verse of the Silver Age, the Soviet Revolutionary period and the decades of Stalinism. What is it about the individual poems that cast a spell over so many of their contemporaries and the generations that followed? What do they tell us about the human spirit and the value of art in a time of catastrophic upheaval?
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £36.00 - Focus on: GiottoCourse start date: Sun 23 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Leslie PrimoDiscover the life and work of Giotto, was one of the earliest artists to be written about within his lifetime, his genius held up as the ideal by Italian painting critics for the next five centuries.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £42.00 - Heist Movies: crime thrillersCourse start date: Sun 23 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: John Wischmeyer1950’s Hollywood began with The Asphalt Jungle (1950) just as The Maltese Falcon (1941) had kickstarted the forties. John Huston directed both — the first film noir and then the first heist film. Did he pull it off? Kubrick thought so, and made The Killing (1956), a rock-hard-boiled thriller built around Asphalt’s mastermind star, Sterling Hayden. Emerging from the shadow of film noir with thrilling action scenes, heist suspense films continue to be one of cinema’s most exciting genres.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £36.00 - China in the 19th centuryCourse start date: Mon 24 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Amy MatthewsonThis course explores the rise of ‘modern’ China during the late Qing dynasty (1644-1912) and explores the internal and external forces within China and how events shaped its international standing, in particular in Britain.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £70.00 - Film of the BookCourse start date: Tue 25 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Peter CherryWe will read works of fiction and view their cinematic transformations, developing an understanding of plot,
characterisation and narrative in a film making context. Each session includes analysis and discussion of the literary
text and an opportunity to view and consider the film.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £79.00 - America in the 70s: culture and societyCourse start date: Tue 25 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Mark Malcomson, Mick McAloon, Dale Mineshima-Lowe, Trish Shaw, Patricia Sweeney, Ian TucknottJourney through the history, literature, film, music and art of the 70s, an era of economic struggle and cultural change. While America continued to reflect aspects of 60s social upheaval, a more energised 'New Right' was emerging in defense of political conservatism and the traditional family, schisms that still exist today. We investigate the cross currents across the many facets of the 70s through a 'taster' of each subject area.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £91.00 - Advanced historical studyCourse start date: Wed 26 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Benjamin Chwistek, Martin JorgensenIf you have a passion for history, or if you've ever been interested in studying history at a higher level, this course could be right for you. Whether you're an avid hobby historian, or thinking about studying history for your Foundation, Bachelors or Masters degree, this course offers you an introduction to history at an advanced level.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £70.00 - Greek myths and their symbolismCourse start date: Wed 26 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Maria ContosMyth permeated all aspects of ancient society and much the same can be said today. Investigate the relevance and perseverance of the Greek myth and why these tales continue to fascinate.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £79.00
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