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.
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- Central African politics for beginnersCourse start date: Tue 31 Jan 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Hilke GudelJoin us learn about the history, institutions and issues that are essential for understanding recent political developments in Central Africa.
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 £45.00 - Twentieth Century British FictionCourse start date: Tue 31 Jan 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Lewis WardOn this course, we will trace the development of the British novel in the second half of the twentieth century through influential examples by Elizabeth Bowen, Iris Murdoch, J.G. Ballard and Julian Barnes. Our journey will include elements of spy fiction, existentialist thought, prophetic dystopia and an audacious attempt to write the history of the world in just ten and half chapters.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £90.00 - Image and identity: 20th century Chinese art and cinema
Course start date: Wed 1 Feb 2023Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Meitao QuExplore the art of Chinese artists and filmmakers from the turn of the 20th century to the turn of the 21st, as they try to make sense of a world on the cusp between the old and the new, marked by encounters with imperialism and iconoclasm. Learn what place art had in socio-political movements, and how it reflected the hopes and anxieties of its time.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £109.00 Concession £71.00 - Memories of authoritarian regimes in 20th Century Latin AmericaCourse start date: Thu 2 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Anna GrimaldiThis course explores the aftermath of authoritarian and military regimes in Latin America, focusing on Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Guatemala.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £109.00 Concession £55.00 - Friday lates: Jean-Michel Basquiat: painting historyCourse start date: Fri 3 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayExplore how Jean-Michel Basquiat used art history, from Ancient Africa to Abstract Expressionism, to dialogue with contemporary culture and issues of racism, money and fame.
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 - A taste of poetryCourse start date: Fri 3 Feb 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Billie ManningThis short, fun taster course is the perfect starting point for students who are writing for the first time or new to the poetry path. Join us for thought-provoking writing exercises and poetry theory for beginners.
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 - Heaven and hell in world religionsCourse start date: Fri 3 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingCompare and contrast the afterlife beliefs of the five major religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Explore how these ideas developed and influenced each other.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £85.00 - From markets to malls: the history of shopping in LondonCourse start date: Tue 7 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Diane BursteinFrom the City markets and shops of Cheapside (Medieval London’s Oxford Street) we move via the historic specialist shops of St James’s to the grand department stores and London markets. Discover how Londoners changed their shopping habits through the years and learn about the history of some of our most famous stores. A shop founded by a royal footman, a 17th century hatter, the department store owner who went to jail for expanding his business and the store which was the scene of its owner’s murder all feature.
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 £10.00 - America in the 30s: culture and societyCourse start date: Tue 7 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Mark Malcomson, Mick McAloon, Dale Mineshima-Lowe, Trish Shaw, Patricia Sweeney, Ian TucknottFrom the Great Depression to the New Deal, from Swing and big band music to gangster films and screwball comedies, this online intertextual course explores the political, social and cultural context of 1930s America through a study of literature, history, music, film and art of the period. With different tutors for each specialism, the course provides a 'taster' in each subject as a gateway to further study in understanding this fascinating period in American culture and society.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £109.00 Concession £71.00 - Ways into creative writing: a gentle paceCourse start date: Mon 6 Mar 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Tasha KavanaghAre 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.
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 £45.00 - The Odyssey reading group (in translation)Course start date: Wed 8 Feb 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Justin MurrayHomer’s epic tale of Odysseus’ journey home after the Trojan War may now be over 2,500 years old but it still has much to tell us about the Ancient Greek world that is still relevant today. Explore this great work in translation.
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 £64.00 - China's development aid in Africa, Central Asia and South Asia: aid or political strategy?Course start date: Thu 9 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Zannis KairisChina has risen to become the world’s largest development aid provider. This has been variously described as a form of neocolonialism, an expression of economic expediency, and a generous aid project. This course will critically review these arguments and help learners make their own judgements.
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 £50.00 - Economics for beginnersCourse start date: Thu 9 Feb 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Naresh SonparEconomics is about what drives human behaviour in making decisions faced with limited resources. Join this online course to learn a toolkit of skills, approaches and ways of thinking that you can apply to a wide range of problems.
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 £45.00 - Art history tasterCourse start date: Wed 18 Jan 2023 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
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.
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 - Picture book writingCourse start date: Mon 13 Feb 2023 (and 6 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Lou KuenzlerWould 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 £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £65.00
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