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 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. London's smaller galleries: Leighton House
    Last Few Places
    Course start date:  Mon 27 Mar 2023

    Location on this date:  Off Site

    Tutors:  Julie Barlow
    A Palace of Art built for the Olympian Giant of the Victorian art world but also a place to live and work. This short course provides a fascinating exploration of Leighton’s world.
    Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00
    Rating:
    96% of 100
  2. Art history taster
    Last Few Places, Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 27 Mar 2023 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online (other locations are available)

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Curious about art history? Join us for this taster session where we explore different ways into visual art and its histories, from the ancient to the contemporary.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00
    Rating:
    98% of 100
  3. Craft focus: grammar, syntax, and style for creative writers
    ONLINE
    Course start date:  Mon 17 Apr 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  William Brady
    Great poetry and prose begin when the writer puts the right words in the right places. Learn how and why the rules and conventions of language matter in this new course, which combines creative writing with a review of essential points of grammar.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £90.00
  4. Writing an academic essay
    Evening, ONLINE
    Course start date:  Mon 17 Apr 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sinead Keegan
    A crash course in essay writing – beginnings, middles and ends. Suitable for students on A level and access courses or undergraduates.



    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
  5. Picture book writing
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 13 Feb 2023 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online (other locations are available)

    Tutors:  Lou Kuenzler
    Would 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
    Rating:
    98% of 100
  6. Lunchtime lecture: Botticelli's nature - vernal roses and frothing seas
    ONLINE
    Course start date:  Mon 24 Apr 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Explore the nature and environment within and beyond Botticelli's most iconic paintings, La Primavera and The Birth of Venus. Learn how closely the artist studied nature and what it can teach about the changing climate we live in today.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £8.00 Concession £7.00
  7. Archaeology of London
    Course start date:  Mon 9 Jan 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Jill Hummerstone
    Explore the archaeology and history of London through its cultural monuments, topography and material remains to more fully appreciate the rich archaeological evidence of the capital.



    Tutor: Jill Hummerstone. Tutor :Jill Hummerstone.
    Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £130.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  8. German Idealism from Kant to Hegel: the beginnings of continental philosophy
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 15 May 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Christopher Horner
    German philosophers created the most ambitious and imaginative systems of thought of modern times against the backdrop of revolution and war. This creative and speculative beginning to modern continental philosophy is an exciting intellectual adventure.
    Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £85.00
  9. A history of global capitalism
    Course start date:  Mon 15 May 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Dale Mineshima-Lowe
    Want to understand the history of global capitalism. Join Dr Mineshima-Lowe to learn about the historical transitions towards what we know as capitalism today – evolution of capital, the role of the state, labour, competition, race, and innovation-automation.
    Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £70.00
  10. Exploring medieval literature: late medieval drama
    Evening, ONLINE
    Course start date:  Mon 15 May 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Thomas White
    Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre loom large in the history of drama in England. But what came before the Bard? What is the history of drama in the period before named playwrights were producing scripts for professional actors to perform in front of paying audiences? This course will cover the dramatic works of the late medieval period (c. 1350-1550), their fascinating cultural, social, and political contexts, and their influence on the development of drama in England.



    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
  11. Films and TV series of the 1990s
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 15 May 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  John Wischmeyer
    The '90s were an amazing decade for film and pre-streaming television. Rom-com was at its height and screwball comedy was back with Pretty Woman (1990 Gerry Marshall) and Groundhog Day (1993 Harold Ramis). Audience and critical favourites were big box-office: Titanic (1997 James Cameron), Pulp Fiction (1994 Tarantino), The Silence of the Lambs (1993 Jonathan Demme), Se7en (1995 David Fincher). The ‘90s were a particularly good time for going out to the cinema when going to the movies was still a thing; or for staying in and watching quality television before box-set binging: Hill Street Blues, Seinfeld, TGIF, Green Wing, West Wing, X-Files, Bottom, Twin Peaks—and right at the end of the decade, the best-ever series—The Sopranos. If you are looking for a new decade to obsess over then register now and join us.
    Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £169.00 Concession £110.00
  12. Japanese philosophy
    Course start date:  Mon 15 May 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  John Goff
    Japanese philosophy extends well beyond Zen, with several philosophical traditions including that of the modern Kyoto School. Developing distinct cultural, aesthetic and political concepts, Japanese philosophers offer a rich field of thought.
    Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £120.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  13. 'Bright Star': poetry and fame
    Course start date:  Mon 15 May 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Laurie Smith




    Why do some poets become famous and remain famous while, for others, their fame fades and they become unread? On the other hand, why are some poets little appreciated in their lifetimes, but become valued and admired after their deaths? We look at examples of both processes, from the early 19th century to the present, and explore the various reasons for these changes in reputation.
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  14. In depth: German art and the Weimar Republic 1918-1933
    ONLINE
    Course start date:  Mon 15 May 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Focusing on the vibrant culture of the Weimar Republic, this course looks at the artists and artistic movements that emerged in Germany between two world wars.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  15. How to Read a Film: A Beginners' Guide to Cinema
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 21 Feb 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Online (other locations are available)

    Tutors:  Paul Sutton
    This 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
    Rating:
    87% of 100

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