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.
- Autobiographical writing: an introduction
Course start date: Tue 21 Feb 2023 (and 2 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street (other locations are available)
Tutors: Julie GartonThis short course explores the basic elements of writing autobiography drawing on memories, diaries, photos, dreams and fantasies with a focus on the forms of autobiography, memoir and the personal essay.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £65.00 - Writing a memoir (continuation)Course start date: Fri 13 Jan 2023 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street (other locations are available)
Tutors: Julie GartonSome moments in our lives are so powerful they beg to be shared with the world. This continuation course guides students in developing a memoir project that will resonate and inspire.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £65.00 - Picture book writingCourse start date: Mon 13 Feb 2023 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Lou KuenzlerWould 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 £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £50.00 - Life in Anglo-Saxon EnglandCourse start date: Thu 2 Feb 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Stephen PollingtonWhat was daily life like for people in England a thousand years ago? What clothes did they wear, what food did they eat, what were their houses like? What language did they speak and how was it written? What medical knowledge did they have, and who practised it? What were their religious beliefs, and what were their superstitions? The course will take a look at ordinary life in Anglo-Saxon England using evidence from archaeology, literature, iconography, place-names and other sources.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £189.00 Concession £123.00 - Get together and readCourse start date: Thu 19 Jan 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Claire AllenEnjoy talking with other people about the things you have read? Want to share great stories, poems and drama? Come along and join the conversation. The group is led by a shared reading practitioner trained by The Reader Organisation.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £50.00 - How to Read a Film: A Beginners' Guide to CinemaCourse start date: Tue 21 Feb 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Paul SuttonThis course will develop your critical appreciation of the cinema by teaching you how to read and understand film texts. We will look at the elements that underpin film form – narrative, mise en scène, cinematography, editing and sound – alongside its historical development. We will consider film style by exploring classical, post-classical and art cinema and we will examine influential critical modes of analysis, such as genre, authorship and spectatorship.
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 £111.00 Concession £90.00 - Creative non-fiction: an introductionCourse start date: Wed 15 Feb 2023 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Yvonne SinghThis short introductory course explores the core elements of creative non-fiction across genres such as travel writing, the personal essay and life writing.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £65.00 - London's smaller art collectionsCourse start date: Fri 3 Mar 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Julie BarlowDiscover some of London’s fascinating smaller art collections and hidden art treasures on this gallery-based course.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - How to get publishedCourse start date: Tue 14 Feb 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Neil ArkseySo you've finished your novel. What's next? This short course provides guidance in submitting to agents and publishers, and helps you to tailor your work to maximise its potential in the marketplace.
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 £50.00 - A history of London: 1880-1914Course start date: Tue 25 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mike BerlinLondon - capital of empire - was a city of contrasts. Great wealth and poverty led to fine buildings and slums while a rising standard of living for many impacted little on those in need.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £110.00 - The art and culture of the VictoriansCourse start date: Tue 25 Apr 2023
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Julie BarlowDiscover the fascinating world of the Victorians and their legacy, exploring fine art, design, architecture, and literature through gallery visits.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Extended history of modern art in 50 worksCourse start date: Wed 3 May 2023
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Sarah JaffrayExplore the history of modern art through objects and artworks in London galleries. Build a greater understanding of modern art, its experiments and the cultural rebellions that mark the period.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00
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