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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. Explore the areas around London's newest transport links
    Course start date:  Mon 11 Sep 2023

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Diane Burstein
    Explore areas adjacent to our newest London stations. Head south for Battersea and Nine Elms, east to Barking Riverside and along the Elizabeth Line to Farringdon, Bond Street, Whitechapel, Abbey Wood, Custom House, Ealing and Southall.







    First meeting place: Monday 11 September at 11am: Meet outside Battersea Power Station tube.
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00
  2. Writing fiction
    Overhead view of typewriter, notebooks, pens and other assorted objects
    Course start date:  Mon 17 Apr 2023 (and 10 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Jonathan Barnes
    Develop your creative writing skills on this practical intermediate course. You'll explore the fundamentals of fiction-writing craft, such as character and structure, and unlock your imagination to produce compelling prose. Suitable for those with some creative writing experience.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £209.00
    Rating:
    87% of 100
    15  Reviews Add Your Review
  3. Ways into screenwriting
    Photograph of film clapperboard on yellow background with scattered popcorn
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 18 Sep 2023 (and 5 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Clive Ford
    Learn to write for the screen on this practical, introductory course. Writing exercises, presentations and screenings will teach you key skills, and you’ll begin to produce work and an outline for a full-length project.
    Full fee £209.00
    Rating:
    94% of 100
    7  Reviews Add Your Review
  4. Key texts of 20th and 21st century drama: George Bernard Shaw, Tennessee Williams, Harold Pinter and Lucy Prebble
    Course start date:  Mon 18 Sep 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Jenny Stevens
    This course will explore the concerns, styles and influences of four dramatic texts from the 20th and 21st centuries and how they reflect the social, political and cultural conditions in which they were written. It focuses primarily on G.B. Shaw’s Mrs Warren’s Profession, Tennessee Williams’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, and Lucy Prebble’s Enron, making multiple connections between them as the course progresses.
    Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00
  5. The rise and fall of the Italian Renaissance
    Virgin Mary with Christ child on her lap.
    Course start date:  Mon 18 Sep 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Leslie Primo
    When, where and what was the Italian Renaissance? Explore it through the craft of its masters such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, Titian and others and trace its legacy.



    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 £149.00
    Rating:
    90% of 100
    2  Reviews Add Your Review
  6. Ways into poetry
    Close-up of pen nib touching paper
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 18 Sep 2023 (and 7 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Relatively new to writing poetry? This inspiring course offers an opportunity to experiment with language and a variety of poetic devices alongside fellow emerging poets. Discover the key elements of a poem in a friendly and interactive class.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £209.00
    Rating:
    94% of 100
    29  Reviews Add Your Review
  7. Starting your novel
    Hands typing on a typewriter
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 17 Apr 2023 (and 7 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sophie McKenzie
    Got a great idea for a novel? Jump start your project in this supportive course that covers craft basics such as character and plot. Ideal for writers of fiction with some experience who have an idea for a novel.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £209.00
    Rating:
    94% of 100
    7  Reviews Add Your Review
  8. Ways into creative writing
    Woman with pen and notepad looking thoughtfully into the distance
    Course start date:  Mon 18 Sep 2023 (and 18 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Claire Collison
    Want 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 £209.00
    Rating:
    97% of 100
    23  Reviews Add Your Review
  9. London at war 1914-19
    Course start date:  Tue 19 Sep 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Mike Berlin
    The Great War changed lives across the globe. For Londoners, material gain was coupled with emotional uncertainty and grief. What were their experiences on the Home Front, at work, at home and at leisure? And what was the legacy of these years? Explore these issues in this interactive lectue course.
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00
  10. Writing for television
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 19 Sep 2023 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Clive Ford
    Do you want to write a drama script for television? What do you write and where do you start? Through exercises and examples this course will assist you in developing your own projects.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £219.00
  11. Contemporary British and international fiction
    Woman smiling while reading a book and holding a white mug
    Course start date:  Wed 20 Sep 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Aamer Hussein
    Join us for a fascinating exploration of contemporary novels in English, including Burntcoat, Sarah Hall's exploration of love in the days of lockdown; Diving for Pearls, Irish novelist Jamie O'Neil's sweeping saga of wealth and poverty in modern day Dubai; Kashmiri-British Mirza Waheed's Tell her Everything, an examination of conscience, guilt and fatherhood, set in London and the Middle East; and Julian Barnes's intriguing and complex recent novel, Elizabeth Finch.
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00
  12. Writing fantasy stories
    Cauldron overflowing with smoke, books and candles
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 19 Apr 2023 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Mary Victoria
    Build fantastical worlds, fill them with compelling characters and learn how to structure innovative plotlines in this perfect introduction for those with a passion for fantasy.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £209.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
    3  Reviews Add Your Review
  13. Islamic art in the medieval world
    Islamic calligraphy written in gold on a dark blue background.
    Course start date:  Thu 21 Sep 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Anita Chowdry
    A course examining the formation and development of Islamic Art and Design; looking at the role of ideology and patronage, and the key influences that went into its development and evolution.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00
    Rating:
    95% of 100
    4  Reviews Add Your Review
  14. Ways into playwriting
    Rows of seats in a theatre
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 17 Apr 2023 (and 5 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Grant Corr
    Explore the fundamental techniques of writing for the stage in this introductory course. Get to grips with dialogue, character, story and structure, and start work on your own play.
    Full fee £209.00
    Rating:
    85% of 100
    4  Reviews Add Your Review
  15. The art and culture of 17th century London
    Printed image of Covent Garden in the 17th century – the piazza is wide open and a few people walk around.
    Course start date:  Fri 22 Sep 2023

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Julie Barlow
    Discover the 17th century: a time of upheaval in Europe, intercontinental trade, religious schisms and a wide range of artistic styles. See its art, architecture and design in London’s galleries and museums. #arthistory #explorelondon #walkingtour.
    Full fee £249.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £162.00
    Rating:
    90% of 100
    4  Reviews Add Your Review
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