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.
- Writing and rewriting fairytalesCourse start date: Sun 11 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: KR MoorheadOnce upon a time there was a City Lit workshop all about writing fairytales. The quest: to inspire writers to pen stories of love, fear, forests, revenge, dragons, witches, kings, queens, frogs and magic.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - How to read a film: a beginners' guide to cinemaCourse start date: Mon 12 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Paul SuttonThis course will develop your critical appreciation of the cinema by teaching you how to read and understand film texts. We will look at the elements that underpin film form – narrative, mise en scène, cinematography, editing and sound – alongside its historical development. We will consider film style by exploring classical, post-classical and art cinema and we will examine influential critical modes of analysis, such as genre, authorship and spectatorship.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - Global encounters: Europe and the Ottoman Empire, 1100-1700Course start date: Tue 13 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingThe Turks entered European consciousness in 1071 when they captured the Byzantine emperor at the Battle of Manzikert. So began centuries of uneasy co-existence between Christians and Muslims on the fringes of Europe.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - Ruling Russia: Tsars, Revolutions, Civil War , and the Triumph of Lenin (1860-1924)Course start date: Tue 13 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Zoe QuinnThis course explores the transformative period of Russian history from 1860 to 1924, encompassing the autocratic rule of the Tsars, the revolutionary upheavals of 1905 and 1917, the chaos of the civil war, and the consolidation of the Bolshevik regime. Students will examine key events, figures, and ideologies that shaped modern Russia, delving into the complexities of political, social, and economic changes during this era.
Please note: this course includes much of the material covered in previous Russian Revolution courses at the City Lit. Moreover this course is taught at an introductory level. Tutor: Zoe Quinn.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £110.00 - Contemporary Middle-Eastern politicsCourse start date: Wed 14 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Nomaan HanifThe Middle East remains the global hotbed of conflict and instability where religion still plays a dominant role in the life and politics of society. This course will aim through a combination of teaching and participant discussion to provide some historical perspective and connect, evaluate and understand contemporary geopolitics, diplomacy and events in the region. Tutor: Noman Hanif. - 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 - Understanding the Israel-Palestine conflictCourse start date: Mon 19 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Nomaan HanifTrace the historical roots of this conflict and study the peace process of the 1990s: Madrid talks, Oslo agreement, Camp David talks, the recent Middle Eastern road map and the latest diplomatic and political developments on this stimulating interactive lecture course. Tutor: Noman Hanif. - Ways into poetry: intensiveCourse start date: Tue 20 May 2025 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alice FrecknallAre you just starting to write poetry? This shorter version of our introductory Ways into poetry course offers an opportunity to experiment with language and a variety of poetic devices. Discover the key elements of a poem in a friendly and interactive class.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £75.00 - The Disease of the Soul: Leprosy in the Middle AgesCourse start date: Tue 27 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingWe explore medieval attitudes towards the disease and the medical care available to sufferers. We also look at how the leper was depicted in art and literature before 1500 CE.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00 - Ways into creative writing: intensiveCourse 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 - Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £84.00
- Land Acknowledgement and Racial Justice: Approaches from Different Settler SocietiesCourse start date: Tue 3 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Olivia DurandLearn about the origins and purpose of land acknowledgements in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. Examine their role in racial justice, Indigenous sovereignty, and whether they create real change or remain symbolic gestures.
Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £8.00 Concession £7.00 - Looking for the Golden Fleece: Jason and the ArgonautsCourse start date: Tue 3 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Maria ContosCome and explore the journey of the Argonauts and discover Jason.Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00 - How to get an agentCourse start date: Tue 3 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Neil ArkseyThis workshop, designed for authors who have finished their manuscript, offers practical advice on finding and approaching a literary agent.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Modern France: from de Gaulle and the Resistance to MacronCourse start date: Thu 5 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sebastien Ardouin(Re)discover France's complex politics during the Fourth and Fifth Republics, and the social challenges and tensions the country faced both at times of growth and modernisation and of crisis and doubts.
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