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 writing creative non-fiction and American history and politics.
Study 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, 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 online now.
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- Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs: an introduction for complete beginnersCourse Date: Fri 7 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
This four-week course uses British Museum objects related to ancient Egypt to provide a foundation in the writing of hieroglyphs. The class will be held online.
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 - Documentary Thrillers: a new genreCourse Date: Mon 10 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
Documentaries can be every bit as entertaining and suspenseful as a Hitchcock thriller. What happens next, whose side are we on? The Insider and Dark Waters are suspense films based on shocking historical events but recent documentaries Touching the Void and Searching for Sugar Man are equally gripping thrillers. For Sama is a documentary and Capernaum a fiction film but both share the neorealism of Bicycle Thieves.
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 £97.00 - Fictionalising Childhood: an introduction to children's literatureCourse Date: Mon 10 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
This course will introduce and examine a range of fictional texts in an exploration of representations of childhood and pertinent themes like journeys, home, and identity. Reading books from the First Golden Age (Victorian to Early Twentieth Century), including Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to contemporary works (Harry Potter), we will consider how literary narratives respond to cultural debates that construct childhood identity as a site of innocence.
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 - Politics, society and culture in Weimar Germany (1918-1933)Course Date: Mon 10 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
This course looks at the Weimar republic established in Germany in 1918, its achievements, the problems it faced and why these led to the rise of the Nazis and end of democracy in inter-war Germany.
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 £66.00 - Exploring Medieval literature: The Canterbury TalesCourse Date: Mon 10 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
Pilgrimage, religion, social mores and foibles, exuberant women, drunk millers with a penchant for bashing down doors with his head! Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales are brilliant examples of Middle English writing. The range of characters, diverse plotlines, energy and playfulness all offer a fine insight into 14th Century England.
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 - Thinking through philosophy: a guide to the basicsCourse Date: Mon 10 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
What is morality and what is it based on? Is the mind a ghost in the machine?
What can I really know? This is a beginner’s introduction to how philosophy tackles questions like these and many others.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £54.00 - Ways into poetry: an introduction
Course Date: Tue 11 May 2021 (and 2 other dates)Location on this date: Online
Are you just starting to write poetry? This inspiring short 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.
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 £52.00 - Ways into screenwritingCourse Date: Mon 19 Apr 2021 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Learn to write for the screen on this practical, introductory course. Writing exercises, presentations and screenings will teach you key skills, and you’ll begin to produce work and an outline for a full-length project.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £209.00 Concession £84.00 - Sweet Thames, Run Softly - A cultural explorationCourse Date: Wed 12 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
The Thames runs like a silver thread through London’s history. It has been a muse & inspiration for centuries. This course examines its impact on our city, how it’s enriched & influenced our lives, both upstream & down.
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 £79.00 Concession £44.00 - Working on your own historical research project: from idea to executionCourse Date: Wed 12 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
Have you ever wanted to undertake your own historical project? Whether researching local history, family history, or a particular topic of interest, we will explore how to go from formulating an idea to executing your historical project.
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 £57.00 - Starting your novelCourse Date: Mon 19 Apr 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Got a great idea for a novel? Jump start your project in this supportive course that covers craft basics such as character and plot. Ideal for writers of fiction with some experience who have an idea for a novel.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £209.00 Concession £84.00 - The 60 minute writerCourse Date: Tue 20 Apr 2021 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Fit creative writing into your busy day: a relaxed, informal rolling programme for writers of all levels of experience who enjoy being thrown new ideas and experimenting with poetry and prose.
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 - Writing for magazinesCourse Date: Tue 18 May 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Get inspired to write on this practical course for freelance journalists and bloggers. Learn to carry out research, interview people, pitch and publish stories, and build your presence on social media.
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 £52.00 - Migration and the Literary ImaginationCourse Date: Tue 18 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
This course explores literature that has emerged from the colonial and postcolonial migration of people from different cultures to Britain and the US. We will be discussing how literature provides a creative space for reflecting on experiences of migration, how fiction attends to legacies of colonialism, racism and xenophobia and how ‘migrant aesthetics’ have created new transcultural forms of literature.
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 £60.00 - Getting away with murder: how to write crime fictionCourse Date: Tue 18 May 2021
Location on this date: Online
Want to write a murder mystery that will knock readers dead? On this course you'll learn how to plot a murder most horrid and develop your writing to create maximum suspense.
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 £52.00
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