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. The city and the myth: Venice in 20th & 21st century literature
    Course start date:  Fri 31 May 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  David Barnes
    The beautiful city of Venice has attracted writers as diverse as Marcel Proust and Thomas Mann, Ezra Pound and Jeanette Winterson. These writers eulogised Venice as a city of art and culture, praising its gorgeous Gothic palaces and shimmering waters. In this course we look behind the myth, exploring the fascinating and surprising stories behind these Venetian visions.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00
  2. Marriage and murder: Othello and Macbeth
    Course start date:  Tue 4 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Julian Birkett
    Shakespeare presents us with two visions of marriage, the Macbeths’ longstanding but filled with passion and rivalry, Othello’s fragile and still largely innocent. Macbeth and his wife know each other only too well – Othello and Desdemona barely at all. We the audience become sucked into these marital dramas through the force of Shakespeare’s dazzling imagery, psychological insight and sensational plotting. We’ll be studying the characters, the poetry and the ideas of both plays in detail.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00
  3. Art and society in the early modern Netherlands
    Course start date:  Thu 6 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Thomas Balfe
    This course focuses on Flemish and Dutch (Netherlandish) art of the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The course will examine well-known artists such as Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, Rembrandt and Vermeer, as well as the role of artworks and visual images in the formation of religious, class, gender and national identities, in early science, and in cultures of collecting.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00
  4. Representing nature in early modern Europe
    Course start date:  Fri 7 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Thomas Balfe
    Explore the links between the visual image and ideas of nature in early modernity (c.1500-1750). At this time, tools like the microscope were visualising nature in new ways, changes were afoot in how humans related to animals, and the environments of Asia and the Americas were becoming more familiar to Europeans. We will focus on how artists and skilled artisans engaged with these subjects.
    Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00
  5. A brief history of printmaking
    Course start date:  Fri 7 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sarah Jaffray
    Discover the complexity of printmaking through this introduction to its history. Explore the cultural contexts, social ideas and artistic methods that make printmaking distinct to other forms of art.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00
  6. Ways into Islamic art
    Course start date:  Tue 11 Jun 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Anita Chowdry
    An introductory course providing an overview of the development of the visual language of Islamic cultures in Asia, Africa and Europe.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00
  7. Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £70.00
    Rating:
    90% of 100
  8. Screenwriting for feature film
    Course start date:  Tue 23 Jul 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sharmila Chauhan
    Have you ever wondered what goes into writing a screenplay? How is it different from theatre, radio or prose? Learn the basics of the craft and develop a script of your own in this creative and analytical workshop.



    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 £139.00 Concession £70.00
    Rating:
    80% of 100
  9. Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £75.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  10. Languages of the ancient Near East: Sumerian, Akkadian, Egyptian
    Course start date:  Tue 8 Oct 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Vaughan Pilikian
    This unique and wide-ranging course provides a broad introduction to the three major languages of the Ancient Near East, which together traverse a vast history of four millennia. In them were written some of the great landmarks of world literature, such as the Babylonian epic of Gilgamesh, the Egyptian Book of the Dead and the Sumerian Descent of Inanna.



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00
  11. Introduction to journalism
    Course start date:  Wed 19 Feb 2025 (and 2 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Allis Moss
    On 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 £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £75.00
    Rating:
    96% of 100
  12. Ancient Greek drama
    Course start date:  Tue 12 Nov 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Maria Contos
    Have a taste of exploring the ancient Athenian stage, and how they still speak to us about the challenges we face today.



    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 £84.00
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