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 writing creative non-fiction and American history and politics.
Study online from the comfort of home, with interactive classes that allow you to participate in discussions with fellow adult students. We offer daytime, evening and weekend courses, both short and long. For more information, please see our guide to online learning.
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 online now.
Filters
- Making sense of fictions through philosophyCourse start date: Sat 7 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
Our ability not only to talk about fictional characters, but to say true things about them, has puzzled philosophers throughout history. This introductory course will show you why fictional characters present such a puzzle.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £36.00 - Writing for podcasts: a tasterCourse start date: Sat 7 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
Podcasts are growing rapidly in popularity, and more and more people are making their own, both at home and at work. Find out more about all the different kinds of writing involved in producing a podcast, hone your own skills and, with support from your tutor, develop your own ideas for audio.
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 £28.00 - Caribbean voices: writers of the Windrush generationCourse start date: Sat 14 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
“Wat a joyful news, miss Mattie, | I feel like me heart gwine burs | Jamaica people colonizin | Englan in reverse,” wrote the England-bound Jamaican poet Louise Bennett in 1966. Two decades of migration from the Caribbean “periphery” to the British “metropole” saw the development of deep varied Caribbean traditions both critical and creative, and this weekend course considers them.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £36.00 - Masters of Cinema: Ennio Morricone: the movie maestroCourse start date: Sat 14 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
Composer of over 450 films, Ennio Morricone’s soundtracks combined electric guitars, panpipes, whistling and orchestrations with natural sound to reinvent the sound of cinema. This course will look at Morricone’s techniques and creative relationships with Italian directors including Leone, Pasolini and Tornatore plus also his memorable film scores for films including The Mission, The Untouchables and The Hateful Eight.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £36.00 - Cinema du LookCourse start date: Sat 21 Aug 2021
Location on this date: Online
This course will focus on a specific decade of French film production – the 1980s. French cinema’s dynamic relationship with Hollywood finds expression in this decade in the so-called cinéma du look, exemplified by directors such as Luc Besson. The course will look at the industrial, cultural and social factors in play during this period and it will explore the work of Besson and others.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £36.00 - Theseus' ship and other metaphysical puzzles: explore the concept of identityCourse start date: Sat 21 Aug 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
This course will introduce students to a number of well-known puzzles concerning the concept of identity – and to some of their solutions.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £36.00 - Ways into playwriting: a taster
Course start date: Sat 18 Sep 2021Location on this date: Online
Give playwriting a try in this fun and supportive one-off taster session. Ideal if you want to unlock your imagination and express yourself, but need a bit of encouragement to get started.
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 £28.00 - A taste of creative writingCourse start date: Sat 16 Oct 2021 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Give creative writing a try on this fun and supportive short course online. Ideal if you want to express yourself but need help in getting started. Guided exercises will encourage you to experiment and unlock your imagination.
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 £28.00 - The 60 minute writerCourse start date: Sat 15 May 2021 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
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 £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £40.00 - England, Scotland and the Irish Plantation SystemCourse start date: Sat 25 Sep 2021
Location on this date: Online
Although the kings of England had claimed overlordship of Ireland since the late 1100s, it was during the Reformation era that that the system of ‘planting’ English and Scottish settlers began to take place. How did these settlements come about, what impact did they have on the social, political and cultural landscapes of Ireland?
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 £55.00 Concession £35.00 - American Gothic CinemaCourse start date: Sat 25 Sep 2021
Location on this date: Online
Explore American gothic cinema, past and present, through a range of key films, and discuss issues such as genre (including horror, mystery and melodrama), gender, narrative and film style. In doing so, we will consider the contexts of classical and post-classical Hollywood in which these films were produced, while also thinking about a range of critical accounts of American gothic cinema.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £36.00 - Advanced academic writingCourse start date: Sat 2 Oct 2021
Location on this date: Online
On this introductory course we will explore the building blocks and strategies for good writing. Ideal for those studying or contemplating academic writing at this level.
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 £28.00 - Hannah Arendt: On Violence and politicsCourse start date: Sat 2 Oct 2021
Location on this date: Online
“ … power always stands in need of numbers, whereas violence … relies on implements.” “The extreme form of power is All against One, the extreme form of violence is One against All.”.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £36.00 - The story of Christianity: history, beliefs, practicesCourse start date: Sat 2 Oct 2021
Location on this date: Online
Explore the origins and development of Christianity and its defining beliefs. We will look at the person of Jesus Christ, the Bible, the Church and key ideas such as the Trinity.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £36.00 - Travel writing: a tasterCourse start date: Sat 9 Oct 2021
Location on this date: Online
You love travelling and taking photos but how do you decide what to write about and which pictures will sell? This course will give you the skills you need to approach editors with confidence.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £55.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £22.00
Can't see a course you want?
Add this category to your waiting list to set up alerts and we will update you when new courses are released online.
Add to your waiting list