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.
Study in-person at City Lit or offsite, or 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 on our online courses, 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 now.
- Writing for magazines
Course start date: Tue 24 May 2022Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Laura SilvermanGet inspired to write on this practical course for freelance journalists and bloggers. Learn to carry out research, interview people, pitch and publish stories, and build your presence on social media.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £52.00 - Ways into creative writing: an introductionCourse start date: Tue 3 May 2022 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Eleanor PennyNot sure whether creative writing is for you? Give it a try on one of these fun and supportive short courses covering the basics of fiction and poetry. Increase your confidence and produce work through guided exercises and discussion.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £52.00 - Reading images: an introduction to film studiesCourse start date: Wed 1 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Cristina MassaccesiThis comprehensive introductory course provides an overview of the main historical, technical and theoretical aspects of filmmaking and film analysis.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £54.00 - Contemporary American literature by WomenCourse start date: Mon 6 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Katie Da Cunha LewinThe American canon is dominated by white, male writers. In this course, we seek to rectify this by exploring the work of women from all backgrounds working across disciplines. Authors include Joan Didion, Claudia Rankine, and Siri Hustvedt.
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 £54.00 - Picture book writingCourse start date: Mon 6 Jun 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Andrew WealeWould 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 £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £52.00 - Royal palaces, patrons and art treasuresCourse start date: Tue 7 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Julie BarlowMegalomaniac monarchs in the post-Renaissance period and the ambitious artists they employed to create their ‘mega collections’– a fascinating moment in art patronage. Explore the palaces, art and personalities that make up this history.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £79.00 - Writing for video gamesCourse start date: Tue 7 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Thomas McMullanLearn about the fundamentals of writing for video games, from interactive dialogue to environmental storytelling.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £52.00 - Introduction to journalismCourse start date: Tue 7 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Tristan McConnellOn this course students will explore the basic skills a freelance journalist needs to write and sell news and features to newspapers and magazines. From developing ideas and identifying outlets to interview skills and approaching editors.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £52.00 - Wit, Sex and Passion: the MetaphysicalsCourse start date: Tue 7 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Julian BirkettThe poetry of the English 17th century - sometimes called Metaphysical poetry - is characterised by wit and wordplay that continue to delight and seduce us today. The poems of John Donne are brilliantly ingenious depictions of sexual passion, those of George Herbert are moving meditations on religious love, while Andrew Marvell in classic poems such as To His Coy Mistress treads a studiedly fine line between the art of seduction and sexual blackmail.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £60.00 - London's smaller art collectionsCourse start date: Wed 8 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Julie BarlowDiscover some of London’s fascinating smaller art collections and hidden art treasures on this online art history course.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £79.00 - Feminism in modern and contemporary artCourse start date: Wed 8 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Irina ChkhaidzeDiscover important modern and contemporary artists whose work can be broadly linked to the feminist project. We will discuss the political and social contexts in which the artworks were created.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £79.00 - Ways into poetry: a gentle paceCourse start date: Thu 9 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Andrew WealeAre you brand new to writing poetry? Do you want to build your confidence in a supportive environment alongside other beginners in the craft? This gentle short course guides students taking their first steps on the path to becoming a poet.
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 £44.00 - Creative non-fiction: an introductionCourse start date: Thu 9 Jun 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Tutors: Yvonne SinghThis short introductory course explores the core elements of creative non-fiction across genres such as travel writing, the personal essay and life writing. On this course you will start to produce your own works of creative non-fiction.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £52.00 - Writing romanceCourse start date: Thu 9 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Rebecca FerrierIt is a truth universally acknowledged that a writer in possession of a single pen can compose an unforgettable romance novel. This six-week course will guide students through the plotting of modern romance stories.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £52.00 - The Renaissance in UmbriaCourse start date: Fri 10 Jun 2022
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Lydia GoodsonExplore the Italian Renaissance from Umbria, the land of Raphael and Perugino. Expand your knowledge beyond Florence, Rome and Venice to discover the artistic treasures of this little-studied region of Italy.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £79.00
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