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 in-person and online learning.

Learn in the centre of London with our in-person courses. Our purpose-built facilities in Covent Garden mean we are ideally located and easy to get to. 

See our guide to online learning for more information about accessing our live online courses.

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.

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  1. Women writing and walking: Virginia Woolf, Nan Shepherd, Rebecca Solnit
    Course start date:  Wed 24 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sophie Oxenham
    This online course considers the relationship between walking and writing in three innovative works of literary non-fiction: Virginia Woolf’s essay ‘Street Haunting’ (1927), Nan Shepherd’s ‘The Living Mountain’ (written c. 1945, first pub. 1977), and Rebecca Solnit’s ‘A Field Guide to Getting Lost’ (2006).



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £110.00
  2. African philosophy
    Course start date:  Wed 24 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Ovett Nwosimiri
    This course is an introduction to African philosophy. We will analyse the various positions and contestations regarding the nature, and trends in African philosophy, debate on communitarianism and personhood, African ethics, ubuntu, and decolonisation of knowledge.
    Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £129.00
  3. Tales from everywhere: international fictions from the 20th century
    Course start date:  Wed 24 Apr 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Aamer Hussein
    Join us to read and discuss a selection of novels from the 1950s and 1960, in English and in translation, some of which, like Stan Barstow’s powerful story of upward mobility A Kind of Loving and Ngugi Wa Thiongo’s poignant portrait of unrest in Kenya Weep Not, My Child, have rarely been out of print. Some are recent rediscoveries, such as Han Suyin’s story of forbidden romance in wartime London, Winter Love, and Chingiz Aitmatov’s delicate Kyrgyz fable, Jamilia. Fresh translations of Magda Szabo’s Iza’s Ballad and Tove Ditlevsen’s autobiographical coming of age story,Youth, are also included.



    NB. This course will have a break week on Wednesday 29 May.
    Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £183.00 Concession £149.00
  4. The death of God
    Course start date:  Wed 1 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Over the past five hundred years in the West belief in God has declined. This course will examine why this has happened and consider the meaning and significance of what has taken place.



    Please note: There will be no class on 20/05/24.
    Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
  5. Spinoza and Leibniz: making sense of the world
    Course start date:  Wed 15 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Spinoza and Leibniz both looked to human reason to make sense of the world, but we will see that they gave strikingly different accounts of the existence of our world, and the purpose of human life.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00
  6. Lunchtime lecture: Reading Old Master Drawings - an art historical insight
    Course start date:  Wed 22 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    What is drawing and what is its unique place in the history of art? Come to understand this special medium through an exploration of some of the greatest draughtspeople in Western European art.



    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 £7.00
  7. Reading Shakespeare: a director's perspective - Twelfth Night and Two Gentlemen of Verona
    Course start date:  Wed 22 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Laura Baggaley
    Take a fresh look at Shakespeare, exploring selected plays in the company of an experienced theatre director. With performance in mind, we will examine the language of The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Twelfth Night,



    and discuss how Shakespeare’s use of verse evolves over the course of his career.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00
  8. Cities of Gold: Pre-Columbian Civilizations of North and Central America (2),
    Course start date:  Wed 29 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Max Carocci
    Join Dr. Carocci to explore the little known history of pre-Columbian civilizations North of Mexico and their links to Aztec and other Mexican cultures.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00
  9. Cyprus and partition
    Course start date:  Wed 29 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Angelos Sepos
    Why is Cyprus divided? Why is Nicosia the last divided capital in the world? We delve into the island’s turmoil-ridden history to uncover the roots and dynamics of this long-standing conflict.



    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 £79.00 Concession £64.00
  10. Reimaging the Renaissance: strange pictures
    Course start date:  Wed 5 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Emma Rose Barber
    Mythical beasts, fruity swags, strange shell forms, odd expressions, the bizarre dream and fantasy subject matter – there is more to Renaissance art than meets the eye. Come and discover the strange work of Paolo Uccello, Carlo Crivelli, Piero di Cosimo, Ercole de’Roberti, Dosso Dossi, Cosmè Tura and Francesco del Cossa.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00
  11. Lunchtime lecture: Yoko Ono - viewer as participant
    Course start date:  Wed 12 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Get to know the art of Yoko Ono from performance art to installation. We explore how the artist works in collaboration with the participant to create communal art for all.



    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 £7.00
  12. The Mamluks (1250-1517) and the endless war against the Crusaders in the Holy Land
    Course start date:  Wed 3 Jul 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Roberta Marin
    This course will trace the political history of the Mamluks, from humble beginnings to the golden age of the sultanate. Special attention will be dedicated to their role as fierce opponents of the Crusaders.
    Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00
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