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.
- Children's writing: a tasterCourse start date: Tue 7 Dec 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Find out more about writing children's stories in this practical and interactive, short taster session.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00 - Picture book writing: a taster
Course start date: Wed 8 Dec 2021 (and 2 other dates)Location on this date: Online
Find out more about writing a picture book text in this practical and interactive, short taster session.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00 - Creative writing: a tasterCourse start date: Mon 6 Dec 2021 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Give creative writing 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 £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00 - Journalism: a tasterCourse start date: Thu 9 Dec 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
What makes a great story? Discover what goes into a magazine or newspaper article and be inspired to write your own.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00 - Art history tasterCourse start date: Mon 10 Jan 2022 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Ever wondered what art history is but don’t want to commit to a whole course? Wonder what's involved in online learning at City Lit? Try this taster session!
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £10.00 Senior fee £10.00 Concession £10.00 - Playwriting: a tasterCourse start date: Mon 6 Dec 2021 (and 3 other dates)
Location 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 - Writing fictionCourse start date: Wed 22 Sep 2021 (and 10 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Lovers of fiction can develop their creative writing skills on this practical intermediate course. You'll explore the fundamentals of fiction writing craft such as character and structure, and unlock your imagination to produce compelling prose. Suitable for those with some creative writing experience.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £209.00 Concession £84.00 - Writing for magazinesCourse start date: Tue 2 Nov 2021 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Get 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 - Developing your screenwritingCourse start date: Mon 10 Jan 2022 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Continue your screenwriting journey in this practical intermediate course. Writing exercises, presentations and screenings will teach you key skills, and you’ll begin to produce work and an outline for a full-length project.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £209.00 Concession £84.00 - Being and beauty: the philosophy of Japanese aestheticsCourse start date: Mon 10 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Not something apart from everyday life but intrinsic to it, beauty in Japanese thought does not entail perfection but the surprise of imperfect and transient being.
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 £30.00 - The great philosophersCourse start date: Mon 10 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
Explore the ideas of major philosophers from Plato to Sartre. How does Western philosophy differ from religion
and science? What problems have the great philosophers tried to solve?
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This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £105.00 - Understanding the modern worldCourse start date: Mon 10 Jan 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Explore the ideas of four key thinkers whose ideas have vitally shaped our world. Examine their views on morality, meaning, the role and status of women, human nature, political and economic injustice and much more.
NB: No class on 7/03/2022 and 14/03/2022.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £79.00 - Beowulf and the Origins of English Literature 700-900Course start date: Mon 10 Jan 2022
Location on this date: Online
After Conversion brought writing to England, Christian monks scribed poems and other literature in manuscripts that were often composed in an earlier, pre-literate culture. It is widely held that Beowulf is a product of this period of Old English writing, between 700 and 900, but most of the poetry is found in manuscripts dated centuries later, around the year 1000. There is thus much speculation as to the circumstances surrounding the composition of earliest literature in England, and this course explores the creativity of those poets and scribes, and the world in which they lived.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £48.00 - Creative writing for learners with dyslexia (SpLD)Course start date: Mon 10 Jan 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Want to have a go at creative writing in a supportive environment? This course is designed to help you tap into your creativity and find your unique writing voice. Suitable for beginners and those with some experience of creative writing who identify as having dyslexia.
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 - Contemporary cinema: the best films of the yearCourse start date: Mon 10 Jan 2022 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: KS - Keeley Street
A crucial course on contemporary/current cinema which coincides with the wide range of films released immediately before the Bafta/Oscar awards season. A weekly ‘what’s on’ previews these films and reviews films seen in the previous weeks. The first session is the drawing up of a definitive student list of the best films of the past year. This course is now more timely than ever as we return to cinemas and to the classroom at Keeley Street.
This course takes place in the classroom, please follow this link to find out what we are doing to keep you safe: Staying COVID-19 secure at City LitFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £97.00
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