History, culture & writing

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.

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  1. Understanding the modern world
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 9 Jan 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Christopher Horner
    Explore the ideas of four key thinkers whose ideas have vitally shaped our world. Examine their views on morality, meaning, the role and status of women, human nature, political and economic injustice and much more.
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00
    Rating:
    93% of 100
  2. Transports of delight: London's railway stations
    Last Few Places
    Course start date:  Tue 9 Jan 2024

    Location on this date:  Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Tutors:  Eleanor Jackson
    London's stations see over 1 billion journeys annually, but the buildings themselves are often ignored. Explore a different station and environs each week, discovering the architecture, history, stories and future of these lifelines of London. The course starts with an initial zoom lecture followed by a series of walking tours.



    This course will be delivered online and in person. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  3. Rome: Foundation, Kingdom, Republic, World War
    Course start date:  Tue 23 Jan 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sean Gabb
    In 120 BC, Rome was a city-state with functioning republican institutions that made room for a substantial element of democracy. It was also the dominant power in the Mediterranean World. By 20 AD, Rome was the capital of an autocratic empire that covered virtually the whole of the Mediterranean World and most of its surrounding territories. Between these dates, Rome saw the collapse of its ancient governing institutions in an orgy of political assassination, civil wars, purges, and military dictatorships.



    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 £159.00 Concession £129.00
  4. Ulysses episode-by-episode
    Course start date:  Tue 30 Jan 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Niall Culligan
    Ulysses is often thought of as one of the most daunting novels of the twentieth century, perhaps more often talked about than read. This course will take on the book episode-by-episode, breaking it down into manageable chunks and gradually working through the key themes, characters and stylistic devices. We will use the guides to the book that James Joyce himself provided, while exploring alternative ways of reading this modernist masterpiece. By the end of the course, you will have a thorough working knowledge of both Ulysses and Joyce’s life.
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
  5. Introduction to Egyptian and Arab cinema
    Course start date:  Tue 20 Feb 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Gillian McIver
    Are you curious about world cinema? Do you want to learn more about a dynamic but often neglected region of cinema culture – the Arab world? This course will introduce you to some of the classic films of the of the Egyptian cinema and its stars like Omar Sharif, including The Land (1970) and Cairo Station (1958), alongside recent films such as Chaos, Disorder (2012) and Lebanese film Capernaum (2018). Each session will include a film screening, short lecture and group discussion.
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00
  6. Why do we obey? The politics of obedience
    Course start date:  Tue 16 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Christian Michel
    We groan against bosses, berate politicians, demonstrate against most aspects of the social system, and then humbly take our orders from above. Is obedience imprinted in our genes? How submissive must people be for society to function? In this short course we will discuss the politics of obedience – drawing on psychology, anthropology, history, and political philosophy.
    Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £129.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  7. Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £110.00
  8. From the 1880s to the 1930s: how the new East End was born
    Course start date:  Tue 23 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Tutors:  David Rosenberg
    In an area branded 'the hell of poverty', libraries, theatres, art galleries and social housing were established. Workers went on strike and activists campaigned for better lives. Discover this history by taking actual, guided walks through six tumultuous decades of change. The first session is in the classroom at Keeley Street but all other sessions are guided walks. Full details of the meeting places for each walk will be given at the 1st session. 6 guided walks with 2 Zoom sessions.



    This course will be delivered online and in person. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
    Rating:
    94% of 100
  9. French and Russian literature
    Course start date:  Tue 30 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Richard Niland
    Explore classic texts of 19th century French and Russian literature, discussing literary style, themes, and contexts as a way of developing and sharing responses to celebrated European writing. Among the French writers examined will be Stendhal, Baudelaire, Flaubert and Rimbaud, with our Russians including Pushkin, Lemontov, and Tolstoy.
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
  10. Discovering Victorian London: empire, enterprise and education
    Course start date:  Tue 7 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Blended (learn both online and in-person)

    Tutors:  Eleanor Jackson
    Victorian London shaped today's city. Discover the lasting legacy of the Victorian age, uncover its secrets, and meet some of the characters who created one of the world's greatest cities.



    Initial lecture via zoom followed by 7 guided walks.



    This course will be delivered online and in person. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  11. Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00
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