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.
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- Writing fantasy stories
Course start date: Wed 19 Apr 2023Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Mary VictoriaBuild 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 Senior fee £209.00 Concession £105.00 - Medieval queenship in Europe and the Near EastCourse start date: Tue 25 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingTravel over 1000 years across Europe and the Eurasian steppe to compare and contrast the role and status of Greek and German Empresses, Frankish queens, Seljuk and Mongolian khatuns.
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 £239.00 Concession £120.00 - Philosophy and the selfCourse start date: Tue 25 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Ariel KernbergWho am I? Is there such a thing as “my true self”? These and related questions will be looked at from various philosophical perspectives.
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 £239.00 Concession £120.00 - Writing Modern Britain: 1990-2020Course start date: Tue 25 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Julian BirkettBritish society is changing in profound, exciting, and sometimes unsettling ways - and a new generation of writers have been exploring, dramatizing and reflecting on it, focusing on shifts in power, money, race, sex and the coming of globalisation. We’ll be reading novels and stories by some of the best of these writers, including Hanif Kureishi, Kamila Shamsie, Zadie Smith and others.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - Hidden Treasures: rediscovered classicsCourse start date: Wed 26 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Aamer HusseinJoin us to read and discuss freshly translated or newly rediscovered gems of international writing from the second half of the 20th century, including ‘After Midnight’ by Irmgard Keun (1937, Germany) and ‘All our Yesterdays' by Natalia Ginzburg (1952, Italy).Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - William Cowper's The Task: 'The growing seeds of wisdom'Course start date: Wed 26 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Peter BrennanWilliam Cowper’s THE TASK (1785) is the great forgotten epic of English poetry. A blank verse meditative poem, it was immediately immensely popular. Both Wordsworth and Jane Austen refer to Cowper approvingly, while Coleridge plagiarised The Task in ‘Frost at Midnight’. Cowper offers both trenchant and subtle reflections on worldly success as against inward authenticity and integrity, while evoking the healing powers of nature and pleading for kindness towards all creatures.
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 £175.00 Concession £142.00 - The rise of RomeCourse start date: Thu 27 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Michael DuiganMore details about this fascinating course will be published very soon.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £136.00 - An introduction to the history of architectureCourse start date: Thu 11 May 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Elizabeth EyresArchitecture is the one art form that we cannot avoid even if we try. It shapes our environment and the way we live our lives, so understanding why buildings look the way they do is a vital part of understanding the world around us. This introductory course will enable you to do just that by examining the development of architectural styles from Ancient Greece to the present day.
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 £175.00 Concession £142.00 - Japanese philosophyCourse start date: Mon 15 May 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: John GoffJapanese philosophy extends well beyond Zen, with several philosophical traditions including that of the modern Kyoto School. Developing distinct cultural, aesthetic and political concepts, Japanese philosophers offer a rich field of thought.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £120.00 - 'Bright Star': poetry and fameCourse start date: Mon 15 May 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Laurie Smith
Why do some poets become famous and remain famous while, for others, their fame fades and they become unread? On the other hand, why are some poets little appreciated in their lifetimes, but become valued and admired after their deaths? We look at examples of both processes, from the early 19th century to the present, and explore the various reasons for these changes in reputation.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00 - Philosophy and the meaning of lifeCourse start date: Mon 15 May 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Oliver JosiahSome philosophers have insisted that philosophy should explain the meaning of our existence. What does it mean for us to be? And how then should we live? This course examines some seriously philosophical answers.
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 £239.00 Concession £120.00
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