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.
- Ways into playwriting
Course start date: Thu 19 Jan 2023 (and 2 other dates)Location on this date: Keeley Street (other locations are available)
Tutors: Dawn KingExplore 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 Senior fee £209.00 Concession £105.00 - Advanced poetry workshopCourse start date: Tue 10 Jan 2023 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ellen CranitchDevelop your poetry, taking it in new directions and maturing your poetic voice. Various approaches and techniques will be explored, and new poetry can be workshopped. For experienced poets only.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £110.00 - Autobiographical writing: an introductionCourse 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 - Autobiography into fictionCourse start date: Thu 23 Feb 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Nick BarlayThis 6-week course will help you develop techniques for transforming personal experience into fiction. You'll have the opportunity to improve your writing skills as well as your ability to give and use constructive criticism in a workshop environment.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 - 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 - Ways into poetry: an introductionCourse start date: Thu 23 Feb 2023 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Claire CollisonAre you just starting to write poetry? This inspiring short course offers an opportunity to experiment with language and a variety of poetic devices. 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 £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £65.00 - Advanced creative non-fiction workshopCourse start date: Mon 20 Feb 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Julie GartonThis advanced workshop is designed for students who have already completed introductory and intermediate creative-non fiction courses and would like to focus on workshopping their writing.
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 - 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 - 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
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