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.
Courses available both in-person and online
We offer a range of 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, you’ll receive the same great City Lit experience. See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online 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 the family
Course start date: Sat 2 Jul 2022 (and 3 other dates)Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Nick BarlayTackle the challenges of writing about family life in this thought-provoking workshop about how to craft personal stories into an engaging narrative.
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 - Beat writer’s blockCourse start date: Sat 16 Jul 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Kate SmurthwaiteA one day course for anyone who has started a project and lost their way, run out of momentum or found themselves staring at a blank page and wondering where the fun of writing went.
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 - Advanced academic writing: year 3 undergraduate and beyondCourse start date: Sat 16 Jul 2022 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Anne WilsonExplore the building blocks and strategies for good academic writing at postgraduate level. Ideal for those studying or contemplating academic writing beyond undergraduate studies.
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 - Craft focus: how to edit your novelCourse start date: Sat 16 Jul 2022 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Sarah LeipcigerAs the saying goes: books aren't written - they're rewritten. Learn the different ways into the editing process and how to polish your novel in this short course for writers ready to find a readership.
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 - Picture book writingCourse start date: Mon 6 Jun 2022 (and 11 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Andrew WealeWould you like to write a picture book text for young children? This course is designed for children's writers and for illustrators wishing to write their own stories; a starter course to develop both your ideas and your technique.
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 - Masters of Cinema: Fritz LangCourse start date: Sat 16 Jul 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Jon WisbeyExplore the cinema of Fritz Lang from his German films featuring fantasy themes, including Die Nibelungen and Metropolis and others reflecting Weimar society, such as M and The Testament of Dr Mabuse, to his Hollywood period and films dealing with American society, such as Fury, psychological film noirs, including Woman in the Window and Scarlet Street, and crime films such as The Big Heat.
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 - Pacifism: the moral and philosophical dilemmas in the 21st centuryCourse start date: Sat 16 Jul 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Bruce JohnsonFew people enjoy living with violence in society, but not many of us are prepared to identify as pacifists. What dilemmas do we face, when trying to adopt more peaceful practices?
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 £30.00 - Micropoetry: small poems, big ideasCourse start date: Fri 22 Jul 2022 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Jennifer WongExplore the emerging art form of micropoetry in this fun but informative day workshop. Compose your own poetry and learn how to make every word on the page count.
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 - The writings of Cicero: an introductionCourse start date: Fri 22 Jul 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sean GabbAn introduction to one of the most influential and prolific Roman writers, Cicero, his life and works.
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 - Writing poetry: experiments in chance and choiceCourse start date: Sat 23 Jul 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Mariah WhelanExplore interesting, off-beat and diverse approaches to generating verse on this one-day course. Try out cut-ups, found lines, experiments in meter and rhyme, and much more.
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 - Writing and rewriting fairytalesCourse start date: Sat 23 Jul 2022 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Helen CoxOnce upon a time there was a City Lit workshop led by an author who loved fairytales. Her quest: to inspire writers to pen stories of love, fear, forests, revenge, dragons, witches, kings, queens, frogs and magic.
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 - What the poem wants: drafting and editing workshopCourse start date: Mon 25 Jul 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Christina DunhillWrite fast and edit fast in this poem-blitzing workshop. Learn to step back, look at your poem and think about the different directions it might take. Practise ruthlessness as well as care in the poem’s service.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £189.00 Concession £76.00 - Writing flash fiction: a tasterCourse start date: Sun 31 Jul 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Lucy PopescuA sideways glance: succinct, powerful. This short workshop on the essential components of flash fiction will teach you to tell a complete story in very few words. Please note: this course will have 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 £28.00 - Writing eco-poetry: a tasterCourse start date: Sat 25 Jun 2022 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sarah WestcottHow might poets write about the natural world in 2022 and beyond, and what is an eco-poem?
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 - Craft focus: novel plotting workshop (advanced)Course start date: Sun 5 Jun 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Jonathan BarnesIf you have made a start on your novel, but need help getting it into shape, this course provides a flexible template that will help you to overcome the obstacles ahead.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £100.00
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