The art of writing the personal essay
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Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
- Start Date: 15 Feb 2026End Date: 15 Feb 2026Sun (Daytime): 10:30 - 16:30OnlineFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00
- Start Date: 24 May 2026End Date: 24 May 2026Sun (Daytime): 10:30 - 16:30OnlineFull fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
This course explores the key considerations when writing the personal essay in relation to tone, perspective, language and structure.
What will we cover?
- What kind of experiences lend themselves to the personal essay.
- Establishing tone and perspective in the personal essay.
- Using language and structure for effect in the personal essay.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Select material from their personal experience for use in an essay.
- Experiment with using tone or perspective for effect in the personal essay.
- Experiment with using language or structure for effect in the personal essay.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is an introductory course but an understanding of basic language techniques used in creative writing would be of benefit.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be a taught through a mix of tutor instruction, writing exercises general discussion of approaches, issues and skills in pairs, groups or as a class. There will also be some analysis of example essays written by a range of authors.
All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.
For classes longer than one day regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Please bring writing materials with you.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
City Lit runs a wide variety of autobiographical writing courses. For further information please browse our website.
All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.
Lawrence Bradby is a writer and teacher. He has worked as a Writing Tutor with the Centre for Continuing Education (University of East Anglia), as Learning Programme Manager for the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Art, and as a Programme Coordinator for mental well-being charity Inside Out. He has published three poetry pamphlets with Sideline Publications and has had poems in magazines including Smith’s Knoll, The Rialto, PN Review and the Forward Book of Poetry. His poem ‘If Your Faith In Me Should Fail’ was included in the Poetry International biennial festival at the Southbank Centre at an event offering fifty love poems from the last fifty years. With his partner, artist Anna Townley, Lawrence has documented the emotional intensity of family life. This was published as an artists’ book with co-writers Judith Stewart and Frances Williams: An Endless Round of Repetitive Tasks with Operatic Anger and Comic Turns (2014, Sideline Publications). A follow-up, How To Play With MK (2020, MK Gallery publications), turns a two-year family residency with MK Gallery (Milton Keynes) into a series of fictional encounters with a location which is both magical and threatening.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.