History, culture & writing - Online

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.

Courses available both in-person and online

We offer a range of long and short courses allowing you to choose between online and in-person learning. All our courses are live, interactive, and taught by expert tutors. No matter how you prefer to learn, we've got the class for you. See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.

Filters

Items 1-15 of 40

Page
per page
Set Descending Direction
  1. Creative writing: getting started
    Last Few Places, Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 25 May 2024 (and 8 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Henry Martin
    Give creative writing a try on this fun and supportive online 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. Please note: this course has a 2-hr break 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 £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00
    Rating:
    95% of 100
  2. Christmas at the cinema: holiday favourites
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 9 Dec 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  John Wischmeyer
    A Christmas cracker filled with seasonal films, from It’s a Wonderful Life to Die Hard, a carefully-curated cornucopia celebrating the genre of the Christmas film with classic clips and hidden gems: Scrooge as a film noir, Covent Garden market in the fifties, and a grown man dressed as an Elf. Full of delights, discussions and a quiz or two.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  3. Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00
    Rating:
    94% of 100
  4. Literature taster
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 9 Dec 2023 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Patricia Sweeney
    Do you want to explore how to go about understanding a poem? How to do a close reading of a work of fiction? Come and find out what makes a literature class at City Lit so special.







    The course also presents an overview of our literature offering for term two in fiction, poetry, drama and literary non-fiction (January to April 2024).



    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
    Rating:
    90% of 100
  5. Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00
    Rating:
    98% of 100
  6. Film studies taster
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 6 Jan 2024 (and 4 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Jon Wisbey
    Explore some of the themes you can expect to encounter on City Lit film classes. This taster of forthcoming classes offers you the chance to decide which course to take while discussing the value and impact of film study.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00
  7. Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00
  8. Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £109.00 Concession £55.00
    Rating:
    96% of 100
  9. Craft focus: mastering descriptive language
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 20 Jan 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sophie McKenzie
    Descriptive language can provide texture and clarity to a story, promoting reader engagement and a sensory experience. In this short course, learn how to create vivid descriptions 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 £35.00
    Rating:
    89% of 100
  10. Introduction to Islam: historical emergence, current issues
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 20 Jan 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Farid Panjwani
    The course is about exploring Muslim history: What is Islam? Who is a Muslim? This course explores these questions through a study of the Quran, the Prophet and the socio-political and religious developments in the early history of Muslims. You may discover that there is more than meets the eye.



    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 £38.00
    Rating:
    96% of 100
  11. The Quakers: an introduction
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 3 Feb 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Bruce Johnson
    Quaker 'discernment' is used by big business for consensus decision-making, while Quakers are often invited to areas of conflict as mediators and peace-builders. This introduction to Quakers tries to explain why.



    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 £38.00
  12. British sci-fi cinema of the 1950s and 1960s
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 3 Feb 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Jon Wisbey
    In contrast to American science fiction (SF) cinema of the same period, British SF cinema of the 1950s and 1960s often adopts a low-key and realist approach, with narratives featuring small groups, or communities, under threat from aliens or technological disaster. Explore a range of films and the way in which they constitute a distinctive branch of the genre, and of British cinema more generally.



    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 £38.00
  13. Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00
    Rating:
    60% of 100
  14. Writing the prose poem
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sat 10 Feb 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Julie Irigaray
    A form that’s flowered in recent years, this short course will guide you to write your own prose poetry.



    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 £35.00
Page
per page
Set Descending Direction

Can't see a course you want?

Add this category to your waiting list to set up alerts and we will update you when new courses are released online.

Add me to waiting list