Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses
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.
- Roses, Rivalries, and Revolts: Power and People in Fifteenth-Century EnglandCourse start date: Fri 9 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingAfter Larry Olivier’s / Kenneth Branagh’s victory at Agincourt, it was downhill for England until the advent of the Tudors! We explode that Shakespearian myth.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - A Social History of England in 12 Objects: From the Tudors to the VictoriansCourse start date: Fri 16 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingWhat do Henry VIII’s rosary and the Golden Boy of Pye Corner tell us about Tudor and Stuart England? Study these and other items to build a comprehensive picture of social life in England over four centuries.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Ways into creative writing: intensive
Course start date: Wed 28 May 2025 (and 9 other dates)Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Lucy PopescuNot sure whether creative writing is for you? Give it a try on one of these fun and supportive short courses covering the basics of fiction and poetry. Increase your confidence and produce work through guided exercises and discussion.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £75.00 - Origins of the Italian Renaissance: the PrimitiviCourse start date: Fri 6 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Simone ChisenaDiscover the history, politics and intellectualism that fuelled the Italian Renaissance. Explore the art of Giotto and his peers from a new perspective.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - Ways into creative writing: a gentle paceCourse start date: Wed 11 Jun 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Henry MartinAre you brand new to creative writing? Do you want to build your confidence in a supportive environment alongside other beginners? This gentle short-course guides students taking their first steps on the path to becoming a creative writer.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £75.00 - Art history taster Course start date: Tue 1 Jul 2025 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayCurious about art history? Join us for this taster session where we explore different ways into visual art and its histories from the ancient to the contemporary.Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00 - Edvard Munch: beyond the ScreamCourse start date: Fri 4 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
This session on Edvard Munch aims to give a fuller picture of the Norwegian artist’s creative legacy. To do so we will shed light on lesser-known works and aspects of his career. Munch’s art will appear immensely personal, and biographical, but also deeply connected to the cultural context in fin-de-siecle Europe.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - The writings of Cicero: an introductionCourse start date: Fri 18 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sean GabbAn introduction to one of the most influential and prolific Roman writers, Cicero, his life and works. - Ways into creative writing Course start date: Mon 28 Apr 2025 (and 16 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Claire CollisonWant to have a go at creative writing in a supportive environment? Join one of these introductory courses. Guided exercises will give you the tools to explore language creatively and find your own writing voice.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £120.00 - The emergence of Europe 300-1000Course start date: Fri 19 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingExplore reasons for the fall of Rome and the emergence of the ‘barbarian’ kingdoms of western Europe. Was it really ‘the Dark Ages’? Were the Vikings simply long-haired tourists who occasionally beat up the natives?Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Modern art: movements 1850-1900Course start date: Fri 26 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayExplore art and culture in the late 19th century Europe, focussing on the major developments in modern art including the Pre-Raphaelites, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism and Symbolism, and their relationship to wider cultural contexts.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - The foreign invention of British artCourse start date: Fri 26 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Leslie PrimoTrace the importance of foreigners to the British art scene from the Tudor period to the Baroque. How did artists like Holbein, Dobson, van Somer and van Dyck influence the British School?Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - The life and times of King James ICourse start date: Fri 10 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: William SterlingJames had been a king of Scotland for nearly his entire life before he made history in 1603, inheriting the throne of England and the possibility of a united Britain. However, he now faced the challenge of bringing two distinct kingdoms together under one crown. How did he navigate the rivalries, ambitions, and expectations of his new realm? Join us as we explore the life and reign of James VI & I, first monarch of both the kingdoms of Scotland and England.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - The life and times of King Charles ICourse start date: Fri 7 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: William SterlingFamous as the only British king to be executed, Charles should also be remembered as the greatest patron of the arts who sat on our throne.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Interactions between the Mediterranean world and Anglo-Saxon EnglandCourse start date: Fri 5 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Stephen PollingtonThis talk will explore some of the connections which maintained the Anglo-Saxons' feeling that Rome was part of their heritage.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £19.00
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