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.
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- Global History Friday Lates: Perfume: A 'Scent-sational' History
Course start date: Fri 28 Mar 2025Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Linsey HunterJoin our Global History Friday Late session to explore history via the evocative sense of smell. This course will explore the practice of improving one’s smell from its ancient origins to modern commercial perfumery.
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 - Friday lates: Agnes Martin – pioneer, painter, iconCourse start date: Fri 28 Mar 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Henry MartinThis course examines the unconventional life and artworks of Agnes Martin (1912–2004), regarded as one of the great artists of the Twentieth Century. Topics covered include Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism, LGBTQ artists, and the role of the biography in Art History.
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 - Friday lates: Poster art – print, pop and propaganda Course start date: Fri 4 Apr 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Christopher CollierGet a snapshot of the eye-catching and colourful world of poster art, from Belle Époque decadence to Avant-Garde dynamism; from Art Nouveau to Atelier Populaire, and the everyday glamour of Pop.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information. - Global History Friday Lates: The Medieval Spice Trade Course start date: Fri 25 Apr 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingJoin our Global History Friday Late session to discover how spice became the most valuable trade commodity in the pre-modern world that would ultimately lead to the discovery of America.
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 - Ways into creative writing Course start date: Fri 26 Sep 2025 (and 17 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah LeipcigerWant to have a go at creative writing in a supportive environment? Join one of these introductory courses. Guided exercises will give you the tools to explore language creatively and find your own writing voice.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £249.00 Concession £125.00 - Ways into creative writing: intensive Course start date: Fri 31 Oct 2025 (and 11 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Suzannah V. EvansNot 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 £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £80.00 - Art history taster Course start date: Fri 4 Jul 2025 (and 10 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
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.Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00 - Post-war German history: 1961 to reunification and beyondCourse start date: Fri 2 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rudolf MuhsThis course offers a broad survey of German history from the sealing of the country’s division by the Berlin Wall to its unforeseen reunification in 1989-90 and its aftermath.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00 - German History: Sites of Memory IICourse start date: Fri 2 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rudolf MuhsBuilding on the exploration of ten Sites of German Memory in the summer of 2024, this course will introduce and discuss ten further locations, concepts and people that enjoy a special significance in the Germany’s collective memory.Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00 - Exploring film directors Course start date: Fri 2 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Jon WisbeySeen as the unifying and creative force in a film, directors have become important for both an audience's engagement and a film's marketing and 'positioning'. This course explores the work of a range of directors, or 'auteurs', their approach to filmmaking and their thematic interests, while assessing the concept of authorship and the contexts in which a director's work is produced and consumed.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £77.00 - Village LondonCourse start date: Fri 2 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Hazel BakerLondon is made up of a series of villages, each with its own individual characteristics. Explore Spitalfields
Shoreditch, Finsbury, Clerkenwell, Islington, Soho, Fitzrovia and Mayfair on these 8 guided walks.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Italian cinema: from Neorealism to the genre film Course start date: Fri 2 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cristina MassaccesiThis cinema course focuses on Italian cinema in the years between 1945 and 1980. It will provide you with an overview of the main historical, cultural and social aspects of Italian filmmaking in Italy by looking at the work of some of its most influential author/directors.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £77.00 - Contemporary art in London Course start date: Fri 2 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Chantal CondronExplore and discuss contemporary art on show in London. Each week we’ll visit 1-2 commercial galleries or a public gallery and examine specific exhibitions of contemporary art across a range of media including painting, works on paper, photography, new media and sculpture.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - Lunchtime lecture: Hiroshige and his influenceCourse start date: Fri 2 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayAn introduction to the art of Utagawa Hiroshige and how his innovative landscapes influenced Western artists like Van Gogh, Whistler and Frank Lloyd Wright.
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 £7.00 - Art in medieval Italy: the Kingdom of Lombardy and its impactCourse start date: Fri 2 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Simone ChisenaDiscover the rich artistic heritage of the first Kings of Italy, the tenacious warriors who first rule the country.
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 £84.00
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