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. The 60 minute writer
    Last Few Places
    Course start date:  Fri 29 Sep 2023 (and 9 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Tasha Kavanagh
    Fit creative writing into your busy day: a relaxed, informal rolling programme for writers of all levels of experience who enjoy being thrown new ideas and experimenting with poetry and prose.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £109.00 Concession £55.00
    Rating:
    96% of 100
  2. War and peace
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 19 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Francesca Granelli
    The course is an exploration of war and peace, examining the ideas that underpin our understanding and approach to these notions. It seeks to understand these issues to explore contemporary conflict around the world.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £58.00
  3. Greek philosophy: the Hellenistic period
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 2 Nov 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  John Goff
    The pursuit of happiness is ongoing. In the ancient Greek world this gave rise to several ‘philosophies of life’ that remain the cornerstone of contemporary attitudes. Join this course to explore their key sources.



    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 £64.00
  4. New York '80s culture
    Course start date:  Thu 2 Nov 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Megan Beech
    This course will introduce you to the New York of the 1980s where art, music, theatre, fashion and nightlife were combining and the finest young artists Haring and Basquiat, Blondie and Grandmaster Flash, graffiti and punk. We will explore how different artistic movements informed each other in the period and how the forces of gentrification and increasing control by the City made these kinds of collaboration less possible.
    Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £64.00
  5. Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £64.00
  6. Greek philosophy: the late ancient period
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 11 Jan 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  John Goff
    The ‘mystical’ philosophy of Plotinus was key to the transition from ancient Greek to early Christian thought. This period gave rise to both modern esotericism and Christian theology. What ideas connect them?



    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 £64.00
  7. Ways of reading: aspects of narrative theory
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 22 Feb 2024 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Jenny Stevens
    What 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.
    Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £64.00
  8. Where is the future? An introduction to the philosophy of time
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 7 Mar 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Oliver Josiah
    Time is a familiar and fundamental part of our lives - we count down the minutes until lunch, we schedule meetings, we set alarms - and yet few subjects have proven as mysterious and elusive. This course will explore some of the key questions that have preoccupied philosophers and scientists for thousands of years.



    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 £64.00
  9. An introduction to paradox
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 25 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Oliver Josiah
    A paradox is an apparently absurd conclusion derived from seemingly uncontroversial premises through supposedly valid reasoning. This course will introduce you to six major philosophical paradoxes and some of the attempts to solve them.



    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 £64.00
  10. Introduction to Marxist philosophy
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 6 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Oliver Josiah
    This course is intended as an introduction to the philosophy of Karl Marx and later Marxists such as Vladimir Lenin, Eduard Bernstein, and Rosa Luxemburg.



    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 £64.00
  11. Economics for beginners
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 21 Sep 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Naresh Sonpar
    Economics is about what drives human behaviour in making decisions faced with limited resources. Join this online course to learn a toolkit of skills, approaches and ways of thinking that you can apply to a wide range of problems.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £99.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  12. What do mathematicians do? An introduction to the philosophy of maths
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 28 Sep 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Oliver Josiah
    This course offers the opportunity to explore fascinating questions concerning the nature of mathematical knowledge by providing an introduction to four major 19th and 20th century philosophies of mathematics.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £99.00
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