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 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. US history for beginners
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 3 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Dafydd Townley
    This online course offers a brief examination of, and introduction to, the political, economic, social and cultural aspects of the United States, 1608 - 2001.



    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 £64.00
  2. Writing and rewriting fairytales
    Evening
    Course start date:  Tue 3 Oct 2023 (and 3 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Victoria M. Adams
    Once upon a time there was a City Lit workshop all about writing fairytales. The quest: to inspire writers to pen stories of love, fear, forests, revenge, dragons, witches, kings, queens, frogs and magic.



    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 £35.00
    Rating:
    98% of 100
  3. The 60 minute writer
    Last Few Places
    Course start date:  Fri 29 Sep 2023 (and 9 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Tasha Kavanagh
    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 £109.00 Senior fee £109.00 Concession £55.00
    Rating:
    96% of 100
  4. Thinking through philosophy: a guide
    Course start date:  Mon 23 Oct 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Christopher Horner
    What is morality and what is it based on? Is the mind a ghost in the machine?



    What can I really know? This is a beginner’s introduction to how philosophy tackles questions like these and many others.
    Full fee £99.00
    Rating:
    80% of 100
  5. Picture book writing
    Weekend
    Course start date:  Sun 29 Oct 2023 (and 7 other dates)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Andrew Weale
    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, develop their ideas and technique.



    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:
    98% of 100
  6. The Soviet Union and the Second World War
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 30 Oct 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Nick Morgan
    This course focuses on the Soviet experience of the Second World War, dating from the diplomacy of the late 1930s to the defeat of Germany and Japan in 1945.



    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 £64.00
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  7. Philosophy reading group
    Evening
    Course start date:  Wed 1 Nov 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Kate Banks
    Descartes’ Meditations is arguably the foundational text of modern Western philosophy influencing not only the what of philosophy, but the how and the why. Reading it together, we’ll discover the stone that created ripples still affecting our thinking today.



    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 £45.00
  8. Greek philosophy: the Hellenistic period
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 2 Nov 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  John Goff
    The pursuit of happiness is ongoing. In the ancient Greek world this gave rise to several ‘philosophies of life’ that remain the cornerstone of contemporary attitudes. Join this course to explore their key sources.



    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 £64.00
  9. Contemporary Black British Literature: Zadie Smith, Bernardine Evaristo, Benjamin Zephaniah, Roger Robinson
    Evening
    Course start date:  Mon 6 Nov 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Rebecca Balfourth
    An introduction to late 20th and early 21st Century Black British Literature, the course features authors such as Zadie Smith, Bernadine Evaristo and Benjamin Zephaniah, as well as T.S. Eliot Prize-winning poet Roger Robinson. While looking towards the future, the course also examines the history of Black Britain - with many of the books explored locating their characters within an historical context.



    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 £64.00
  10. Ancient Greek drama
    Course start date:  Tue 7 Nov 2023

    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 £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £64.00
  11. Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre and Villette
    Course start date:  Wed 15 Nov 2023 (and 1 other date)

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Sophie Oxenham
    This online Literature course focuses on two novels by Charlotte Brontë: Jane Eyre and Villette. We will develop an appreciation of Brontë’s narrative methods and concerns through close analysis of her language, alongside engaging with the literary, historical and critical contexts of these novels, and the Brontë ‘mythology’ itself.



    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
    Rating:
    100% of 100
  12. Treasures of Byzantine art and architecture
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 23 Nov 2023

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Roberta Marin
    The Byzantines (circa 330-1453) have produced some of the finest works of art and erected the most remarkable buildings in the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and beyond.



    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
  13. The beginnings of Impressionism: the Barbizon School
    Course start date:  Thu 23 Nov 2023

    Location on this date:  Keeley Street

    Tutors:  Emma Rose Barber
    Who said the Impressionists were the first to paint ‘en plein air’? Get lost in wood and green and light and shade in the large forest of Fontainebleau near Paris and learn about a group of 19th-century painters who influenced the Impressionists in the art of painting landscape outside.
    Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £64.00
  14. Exploring film noir
    Course start date:  Tue 9 Jan 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  Jon Wisbey
    The term film noir has been used to describe visual style, themes and narratives in a range of American genres, particularly crime films of the 1940s and 1950s, but it has also been used to describe areas of British, French, and, as part of the giallo tradition, Italian cinema. Explore film noir through a range of critical concepts and historical periods, while assessing its enduring appeal.



    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 £64.00
  15. Greek philosophy: the late ancient period
    Evening
    Course start date:  Thu 11 Jan 2024

    Location on this date:  Online

    Tutors:  John Goff
    The ‘mystical’ philosophy of Plotinus was key to the transition from ancient Greek to early Christian thought. This period gave rise to both modern esotericism and Christian theology. What ideas connect them?



    This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
    Full fee £99.00
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