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. History taster: from one empire to another?
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 7 Dec 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Martin Jorgensen
    Join us for an introduction on to how to make sense of the British and American ways of seeking global dominance and the ways in which people have resisted as we see the (re-)emergence of China, India and Russia in global politics and economics.
    Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00
  2. Creative writing: a taster
    Last Few Places, Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 7 Dec 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Yvonne Singh
    Give creative writing a try in this fun and supportive one-off taster session. Ideal if you want to unlock your imagination and express yourself, but need a bit of encouragement to get started.



    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
    Rating:
    60% of 100
  3. Developing your novel
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 11 Jan 2024 (and 6 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Leipciger
    Have you started work on your novel? This course is suitable for experienced creative writers who want to make progress with a novel draft. Learn more about the art of novel writing and move your project forward in a supportive workshop environment.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £110.00
    Rating:
    91% of 100
  4. Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £109.00 Concession £55.00
    Rating:
    96% of 100
  5. Advanced fiction writing workshop
    Last Few Places, Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 18 Jan 2024 (and 8 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Leipciger
    For experienced writers, this supportive but rigorous workshop offers the perfect opportunity to develop your novel or short story. Receive in-depth feedback and benefit from detailed group discussions on the art of fiction.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £115.00
    Rating:
    93% of 100
  6. Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £110.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  7. Creative non-fiction
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 18 Apr 2024 (and 10 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Julie Garton
    Explore practical and imaginative approaches to creative non fiction, including travel writing, life writing and the essay. Analyse published work, produce your own pieces, and benefit from detailed feedback.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £110.00
  8. Cultureplex ciné-club 2
    Course start date:  Thu 11 Jan 2024 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Paul Sutton
    Come and join us at the Cultureplex Ciné-Club 2, where once a week, for 12 weeks (and throughout the academic



    year), we will watch and discuss film. Taking its cue from the famous Parisian ciné-club set up by the celebrated critic and writer, André Bazin, ‘the single thinker most responsible for bestowing on cinema the prestige both of an artform and of an object of knowledge’, and the man who foresaw the emergence of film studies as a legitimate discipline of academic study, our contemporary incarnation of the film club will offer a curated series of films for detailed study, discussion and debate. Each film will be introduced, placed in both its cinematic, cultural and historic context. In sharing our viewing in City Lit’s premier screening room, the Cultureplex, we will approximate the experience of watching film in the cinema, one that is intense and fully focussed in a way that other modes of viewing often are not. After the screening we will devote the rest of the class to a collective exploration of the film, led by the tutor, but involving everyone in a participatory discussion that will allow all to express their responses, their views, their thoughts on the film screened.







    Please note that this course will screen a new and different set of films to HF211 Cultureplex Cine-Club, which will run with the same films screened last year. If you took the Cultureplex Cine-Club course last year (2023-4), please ensure that you take the Cultureplex Cine-Club 2 courses this year.
    Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00
  9. Greek philosophy: the late ancient period
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 11 Jan 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  John Goff
    The ‘mystical’ philosophy of Plotinus was key to the transition from ancient Greek to early Christian thought. This period gave rise to both modern esotericism and Christian theology. What ideas connect them?



    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
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