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.
- Writing romanceCourse start date: Thu 1 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sophie McKenzieIt 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 £65.00 - Art and society in the early modern NetherlandsCourse start date: Mon 5 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Thomas BalfeThis 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 £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £90.00 - Representing nature in early modern EuropeCourse start date: Wed 14 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Thomas BalfeExplore 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.
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 £87.00 Concession £71.00 - Symbols and stories: saints in artCourse start date: Tue 20 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Elizabeth EyresSaints are represented in masterpieces of Christian art from 1200 to the present – learn how to recognise them, decode their meanings and iconography and enhance your understanding of this aspect of art history. This course includes a gallery visit.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £90.00 - Further village LondonCourse start date: Wed 21 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Paul Sinclair
A further five walks around London's former villages - Hampstead, Highgate, Archway, Fitzrovia and Soho.
Why did these areas grow up as villages and how did they become swallowed up by the city of London?
First meeting place: Hampstead, meet at Hampstead tube.Full fee £109.00 Senior fee £87.00 Concession £55.00 - Travel writing workshopCourse start date: Mon 26 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Susan GrossmanMake travelling pay. Learn how to get a commission, finance a trip and put your adventures into words, led by practical exercises and expert industry guidance.
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 £65.00 - Screenwriting for feature filmCourse start date: Tue 27 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sharmila ChauhanHave 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 £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £65.00 - How to write a short storyCourse start date: Mon 10 Jul 2023 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vicky GrutThrough a series of inspiring and practical exercises, you'll be encouraged to tap into your imagination and draft a short story from beginning to end in this supportive short course.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 - A history of global capitalismCourse start date: Mon 15 May 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Dale Mineshima-LoweWant to understand the history of global capitalism. Join Dr Mineshima-Lowe to learn about the historical transitions towards what we know as capitalism today – evolution of capital, the role of the state, labour, competition, race, and innovation-automation.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £70.00 - T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land at 100Course start date: Fri 2 Jun 2023
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David Barnes100 years ago this autumn an extraordinary poem was published that changed the literary world in ways we are still processing today. T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land was a modernist masterpiece, a broken hymn of despair, a collage of voices from different cultures and histories – and a poem that soon became iconic. From its memorable opening line – ‘April is the cruellest month’ – to its closing prayer, it takes us through a rich cast of characters and settings, evocations of myth and religion, and references to modern life. In this course we will look at the poem’s politics, its attitude to religion and sex, its many allusions, and the great writers it influenced.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £90.00
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