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. Film studies taster
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sun 10 Dec 2023 (and 4 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Jon Wisbey
    This taster of forthcoming film courses at City Lit in 2024 offers you the chance to think about which ones to take while also providing an opportunity to explore some of the key areas in film studies more generally.



    Learn how to evaluate and discuss films while enjoying a working example of a City Lit film studies class.



    We will view clips from a wide variety of films, exploring themes and technique in British, European and modern American cinema. There will be a chance to review term two film courses at City Lit (January - July 2024).



    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
  2. Ways into screenwriting: getting started
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sun 7 Jul 2024 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Clive Ford
    Want to write scripts but don't know how to start? Discover the basics of screenwriting - character, conflict and more - on this online taster course that will help you shape your ideas and get your story going. (Course has a 2-hr break from 12:30-14:30.).



    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
  3. Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £209.00 Concession £105.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  4. The Coen brothers: road trips through Hollywood
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sun 21 Jan 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  John Wischmeyer
    The Coens’ Blood Simple (1984) was a new kind of film noir set in Texas. A career later they returned to post-Civil War Texas to re-make True Grit (2010). This map of their USA trips through Raising Arizona (1987), then mainstreams to Fargo (1996), but somehow never far from Hollywood and its genres: Barton Fink (1991), O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000), or Hail, Caesar (2016). If their America was No Country For Old Men (2007), then where art they now? (See separate but related courses on Once Upon a Time in New Hollywood, Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola, and David Lynch).
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
  5. Picture book writing
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sun 21 Jan 2024 (and 6 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Andrew Weale
    Would 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 £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £70.00
    Rating:
    98% of 100
  6. Creative writing: getting started
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sun 21 Jan 2024 (and 8 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sophie McKenzie
    Give creative writing a try on this fun and supportive online short course. Ideal if you want to express yourself but need help in getting started. Guided exercises will encourage you to experiment and unlock your imagination.



    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
    Rating:
    95% of 100
  7. Writing flash fiction: getting started
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sun 21 Jul 2024 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Lucy Popescu
    A sideways glance: succinct, powerful. This short workshop on the essential components of flash fiction will teach you to tell a complete story in very few words. Please note: this course will have a 2-hr break from 12:30-14:30.



    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
  8. Aliens, mutants and paranoia: American sci-fi cinema of the 1950s
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sun 28 Jan 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Jon Wisbey
    Science fiction (SF) cinema of the 1950s drew on the social, political and technological concerns of the period, producing a rich body of films that reflect these themes. Looking at a range of American SF films of the period, this course considers the ways in which these films accommodate such issues, their function as popular, genre cinema, their production contexts, and the way that critics have understood them.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
  9. Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00
    Rating:
    70% of 100
  10. Francis Ford Coppola: the 'Movie Brat' who changed Hollywood
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sun 18 Feb 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  John Wischmeyer
    The Godfather (1972) defined an era of cult filmmaking and redefined the gangster genre. It had been turned down by Arthur Penn, Otto Preminger, Elia Kazan, and Fred Zinnemann—but they weren’t 31 and in debt. Coppola was the oldest of the ‘movie brats’ and had just hit a cultural nerve by comparing Michael Corleone to President Nixon just before Watergate broke, which led him to The Conversation (1974). He was the hottest young director in Hollywood. The Godfather not only changed his career but also the structure of Hollywood itself. No other American classic so repays repeated viewings. What would he—and Hollywood—do next? Well, he started his own Studio, Zoetrope, with Michael Powell as an adviser. (See separate but related courses on Once Upon a Time New Hollywood, Robert Altman, David Lynch and the Coen brothers).



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
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