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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- What do mathematicians do? An introduction to the philosophy of mathsCourse start date: Thu 28 Sep 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Oliver JosiahThis 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 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £64.00 - The politics of memory and archaeology after dictatorshipCourse start date: Thu 12 Oct 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Simone ChisenaDiscover how the work of archaeologists helps casting further light on the bleakest hours of our past and fosters reflection and political action on dictatorship and genocide.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £45.00 - War and peaceCourse start date: Thu 19 Oct 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Francesca GranelliThe 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 - New York '80s cultureCourse start date: Thu 2 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Megan BeechThis 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 - Greek philosophy: the Hellenistic periodCourse start date: Thu 2 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: John GoffThe 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 - Understanding economics: from stock markets to game theory
Course start date: Thu 2 Nov 2023Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Naresh SonparEconomics is about what drives human behaviour in making decisions faced with limited resources. You will learn how economics is applied to financial markets in making investment decisions.
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 - How to write a novel Course start date: Thu 9 Nov 2023 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Thomas McMullanThis course deals with all aspects of novel writing technique and prose style. Ideal for fiction writers about to begin a novel or those with a novel at early draft stage.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £35.00 - Treasures of Byzantine art and architectureCourse start date: Thu 23 Nov 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Roberta MarinThe Byzantines (circa 330-1453) have produced some of the finest works of art and erected the most remarkable buildings in the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and beyond.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £45.00 - Greek philosophy: the late ancient periodCourse start date: Thu 11 Jan 2024
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: John GoffThe ‘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 - Writing funny fiction
Course start date: Thu 1 Feb 2024Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rene PerezWhat does it really mean to write funny fiction and what are the techniques writers use? Learn how to harness the power of humour in your fiction in this fun, supportive workshop. - Ways of reading: aspects of narrative theoryCourse start date: Thu 22 Feb 2024 (and 1 other date)
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.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £64.00 - Where is the future? An introduction to the philosophy of timeCourse start date: Thu 7 Mar 2024
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Oliver JosiahTime 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 - An introduction to paradoxCourse start date: Thu 25 Apr 2024
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Oliver JosiahA 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 - Struggle to be heard: Rimbaud, Cavafy, Tsvetaeva, Binta BreezeCourse start date: Thu 2 May 2024
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Laurie SmithWe look at four poets who struggled to be heard or accepted because their work was so different from what their society expected. What were the barriers they had to overcome and how did they win through to become admired and highly regarded? What made one of the poets stop writing at the age of 21 and the other three continue for the rest of their lives? What makes the poetry of all of them so original, and what can we learn from their resilience?Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £45.00 - Introduction to Marxist philosophyCourse start date: Thu 6 Jun 2024
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Oliver JosiahThis 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
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