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 in-person and online learning.

Learn in the centre of London with our in-person courses. Our purpose-built facilities in Covent Garden mean we are ideally located and easy to get to. 

See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.

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.

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  1. Humanity and agriculture - the Neolithic revolution
    Course start date:  Thu 25 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Simone Chisena
    Discover how, from the depths of prehistory, our species turned from nomadic hunter gatherers to stable, town-dwelling farmers across the Mediterranean and Europe.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00
  2. Italian cinema: from Neorealism to the genre film
    Evening
    Course start date:  Fri 26 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Cristina Massaccesi
    This 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 £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £64.00
  3. The occult on screen
    Course start date:  Tue 30 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Gillian McIver
    Surprisingly, not every film that features the occult is a horror film. Certainly, many of them are; we will consider classics such as Haxan from 1922, Rosemary’s Baby, The Craft, Angel Heart, The Witch and Hereditary. Other films, such as Kenneth Anger's Lucifer Rising and A Dark Song, attempt to treat the occult seriously as secret or hidden knowledge. We'll examine the cultural backdrop of occult films and questions of representation, gender relations, and spirituality.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00
  4. British literature of the 1980s: the Granta generation
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 30 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Lewis Ward
    Who were considered the ‘Best of Young British Novelists’ in 1983, and what became of them? What do their styles and topics reveal about the decade, looking back from 40 years on? Read extracts by all twenty writers plus novels by Pat Barker, Graham Swift and Julian Barnes.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00
  5. Post-war German history: 1961 to reunification and beyond
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 1 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Rudolf Muhs
    This 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.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00
  6. Populism
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 1 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Francesca Granelli
    Populism and radicalism is challenging how politics looks and works in many places around the world. Join Dr. Granelli to learn more!



    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 £58.00
  7. Twenty-first Century Folklore: myth and magic in the global world
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 2 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Katie Goss
    This online course focuses on innovative short fiction from around the globe which reworks folkloric traditions to grapple with conditions of twenty-first century life. As well as engaging with the unique folkloric influences each text draws on, we’ll consider the complexities of the present that they are addressed to – and how the rising popularity of ghost stories, fairy tales, dark fables and surreal myths suggests a renewed fascination with the intrigues of the mysterious, monstrous and inexplicable.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00
  8. An introduction to film
    Evening
    Course start date:  Fri 3 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Jon Wisbey
    Develop your critical understanding of cinema through a range of concepts and critical approaches in film studies, including narrative, genre, spectatorship, authorship and directors, popular cinema, art cinema, national cinema and early film, along with technological developments including the transition to sound, while we view and discuss a range of key films from cinema's history as examples.



    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
    Rating:
    90% of 100
  9. Tales of transformation: Ovid’s Metamorphoses
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 7 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Nikoletta Manioti
    So many works of arts refer, in one way or another, to Ovid's Metamorphoses. In this course, you'll become familiar with some of the most memorable stories in this masterpiece and begin to understand why its stories are - and have been - so universally fascinating and influential.



    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 £58.00
  10. Introduction to Charles Booths’ London
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 7 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Wise
    During this six-week course, we will explore aspects of Charles Booth’s landmark survey ‘Life & Labour of the People in London’, published in 17 volumes between 1889 and 1903.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00
    Rating:
    97% of 100
  11. America in the 70s: culture and society
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 7 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Pauline Greene, Mark Malcomson, Paul Sutton, Patricia Sweeney, Dafydd Townley, Ian Tucknott
    Journey through the history, literature, film, music and art of the 70s, an era of economic struggle and cultural change. While America continued to reflect aspects of 60s social upheaval, a more energised 'New Right' was emerging in defense of political conservatism and the traditional family, schisms that still exist today. We investigate the cross currents across the many facets of the 70s through a 'taster' of each subject area.



    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
  12. Sweet Thames, run softly: a cultural exploration
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 8 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Eleanor Jackson
    The Thames runs like a silver thread through London’s history. It has been a muse & inspiration for centuries. This course examines its impact on our city, how it’s enriched & influenced our lives, both upstream & down.



    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
    Rating:
    95% of 100
  13. The Iliad reading group (in translation)
    Last Few Places, Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 8 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Justin Murray
    Come and explore Homer's great epic tale in translation.



    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
  14. City Lit at the BFI: Italian Neo-Realism - The cinema of everyday life
    Course start date:  Wed 8 May 2024

    Location on this date:  BFI Southbank

    Tutors:  Paul Sutton
    The filmmakers associated with Italian Neorealism are celebrated for their commitment to representing post-World War 2 Italy as realistically as possible and their influence has been significant. In this 6-week course, Dr Paul Sutton will examine the richness of this ‘movement’ and consider the reasons for its enduring legacy, while countering some of the myths that have grown up around it on the way.



    Please note that this course takes place in The Studio at the BFI Southbank.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00
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