Explore Culture, History & Humanities Courses
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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- Roses, Rivalries, and Revolts: Power and People in Fifteenth-Century EnglandCourse start date: Fri 9 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingAfter Larry Olivier’s / Kenneth Branagh’s victory at Agincourt, it was downhill for England until the advent of the Tudors! We explode that Shakespearian myth.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - The mirror of nature: art and culture in the 17th century
Course start date: Fri 9 May 2025Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Leslie PrimoThe 17th century produced some of the greatest artists of all time: Rubens, Rembrandt, Velazquez and Bernini to name but a few. Explore the work of these key artists and understand the history, styles and ideas that shaped the century.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - Art in Britain since 2000: where are we now?Course start date: Fri 9 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Chantal CondronDiscover how exciting, new UK-based artists use both experimental and traditional approaches to art to address issues of identity, history and personal experience. - Ways of reading: aspects of narrative theoryCourse start date: Fri 16 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Jenny StevensWhat do we mean by ‘literary fiction’? What expectations do we bring to the novels we read? Do we really ‘escape’ when we enter fictional worlds? These are just some of the questions addressed in a course which focuses on the analysis of prose fiction. Reading texts as short as one-sentence ‘flash fiction’ to complete short stories, it engages with writing from a wide range of periods and authors, paying close attention to narrative techniques and their effects. - Apocalypse London: the city in dystopian fiction - 1880-1974Course start date: Fri 16 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah WiseExplore representations of London in works of dystopian/science fiction, written between the 1890s and the 1970s. Our authors will include HG Wells, John Wyndham, George Orwell and Nigel Kneale.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £110.00 - A Social History of England in 12 Objects: From the Tudors to the VictoriansCourse start date: Fri 16 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingWhat do Henry VIII’s rosary and the Golden Boy of Pye Corner tell us about Tudor and Stuart England? Study these and other items to build a comprehensive picture of social life in England over four centuries.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00 - Ways into creative writing: intensive Course start date: Fri 31 Oct 2025 (and 9 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lucy PopescuNot sure whether creative writing is for you? Give it a try on one of these fun and supportive short courses covering the basics of fiction and poetry. Increase your confidence and produce work through guided exercises and discussion.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £80.00 - Philosophy and cinemaCourse start date: Fri 30 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Daniel WeizmanWe explore the intersection of film and philosophy, engaging with the works of influential thinkers and film makers. Together, we discover how cinema opens new possibilities to examine enduring philosophical questions concerning the mind, reality, identity, and ideology.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - Origins of the Italian Renaissance: the PrimitiviCourse start date: Fri 6 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Simone ChisenaDiscover the history, politics and intellectualism that fuelled the Italian Renaissance. Explore the art of Giotto and his peers from a new perspective.Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00 - Ways into creative writing: a gentle paceCourse start date: Fri 26 Sep 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Henry MartinAre you brand new to creative writing? Do you want to build your confidence in a supportive environment alongside other beginners? This gentle short-course guides students taking their first steps on the path to becoming a creative writer.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £80.00 - Introduction to criminology: thinking about crime and justiceCourse start date: Fri 7 Nov 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Join our journey, examining sociological and criminological theories of crime, deviance and the criminal justice system. Examine how these how these perspectives have premeditated everyday views of crime and criminality.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £90.00 - The Ottoman Empire in world historyCourse start date: Fri 12 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Martin JorgensenWant to know more about the history of the Ottoman Empire and its legacies in the modern Middle East? Join us on this course to get an introduction.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £90.00 - Contemporary art in London Course start date: Fri 2 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Chantal CondronExplore and discuss contemporary art on show in London. Each week we’ll visit 1-2 commercial galleries or a public gallery and examine specific exhibitions of contemporary art across a range of media including painting, works on paper, photography, new media and sculpture.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00 - City Lit reading group 1Course start date: Fri 19 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Kate WilkinsonShare thoughts and ideas about what you are reading, with books chosen by the group. Please come to the first session on Friday 29 September with suggestions (contemporary fiction in paperback) and having read 'Story of the Forest' by Linda Grant. Meetings take place on 19/9, 24/10, 28/11, 30/1, 27/2, 27/3, 1/5, 29/5, 26/6.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Art in Britain 1950-2000 - 'This is Tomorrow' (Part 1) Course start date: Fri 19 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Chantal CondronDiscover the work of selected British artists whose innovative practice shaped the development of modern art in Britain from the 1950s to the 1970s. Explore how and why the ideas and themes behind their work continue to be relevant to today’s audiences.
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