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.
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This course is designed for those fascinated by magical realism, and interested in using elements of the style in their own writing.
Drawing on a range of texts, you’ll learn about the lineage of magical realism as a literary style, and how various authors have blurred the boundaries between real and fantasy worlds. You’ll get to grips with the techniques and aims of magical realism and apply these to your own creative writing.
What will we cover?
The origins of magical realism and its tropes
The juxtaposition of the ordinary and extraordinary
The blurring of boundaries between the real and the surreal
Using myth and folklore within a realistic context
Identifying what sets a magical realist text apart from fantasy writing
Using elements of magical realism in your writing
How elements of magical realism affect your text.
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Identify the key tropes of magical realism.
Generate ideas and experiment with different elements of magical realism in your writing
Write the opening to your own story
Write with greater confidence
Read texts with a critical eye to gain further understanding of the form
Respond to and assess pieces of writing with sensitivity.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is a creative writing course for beginners and intermediate level. Students will need to be able to write in fluent English and would benefit from some awareness of techniques used in creative writing.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Students will be taught through a mixture tutor presentation, class and pair discussion, group work, extract analysis and regular writing exercises throughout the day.
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.
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?
Lucy Popescu is a writer, editor and arts critic. She has published two anthologies about refugee experiences, A Country of Refuge (2016) and A Country to Call Home (2018) and is the author of The Good Tourist (2008). Lucy is chair of the Authors’ Club and its Best First Novel Award. She reviews books for The Observer, FT and TLS, among other publications, has a regular column in the Literary Review and is theatre editor at Camden New Journal. Lucy has taught creative writing for over ten years, is a writing mentor at Freedom for Torture and also curates literary events. Before that, she worked with the English Centre of PEN.
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.
product
https://www.citylit.ac.uk/writing-magical-realism174666Writing magical realismhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/w/r/writing_magical_realism-1080_1_1.jpg7979GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Writing/Novels and short stories/Novels and short stories/Courses/Writing/Courses/Writing/Novels and short stories/Courses/Online courses2285158813581135991731122851358113599<p>Learn how fantasy and reality can meet in this interactive workshop on writing magical realism.</p> <div data-content-type="html" data-appearance="default" data-element="main">What are the conventions of a magical realism story? How do you balance the realism and the magic? How do you structure a plot in the magical realsim genre? All of these questions are answered on this short introductory course designed for students who are just starting out in the genre.</div>153035917Writing magical realism7979https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/w/r/writing_magical_realism-1080_1_1_3.jpgInStockDaytimeSunOnlineAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekend2026-11-01T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allNov 2026WritingHW7057979Writing magical realism795179Lucy Popescuwriting-magical-realism/hw705-2627<p>Learn how fantasy and reality can meet in this interactive workshop on writing magical realism.</p>0000-Available|2026-11-01 00:00:00<p>This course is designed for those fascinated by magical realism, and interested in using elements of the style in their own writing.</p><p>Drawing on a range of texts, you’ll learn about the lineage of magical realism as a literary style, and how various authors have blurred the boundaries between real and fantasy worlds. You’ll get to grips with the techniques and aims of magical realism and apply these to your own creative writing.</p><p>Learn how fantasy and reality can meet in this interactive workshop on writing magical realism.</p><ul><li>The origins of magical realism and its tropes</li><li>The juxtaposition of the ordinary and extraordinary</li><li>The blurring of boundaries between the real and the surreal</li><li>Using myth and folklore within a realistic context</li><li>Identifying what sets a magical realist text apart from fantasy writing</li><li>Using elements of magical realism in your writing</li><li>How elements of magical realism affect your text.</li></ul><ul><li>Identify the key tropes of magical realism.</li><li>Generate ideas and experiment with different elements of magical realism in your writing</li><li>Write the opening to your own story</li><li>Write with greater confidence</li><li>Read texts with a critical eye to gain further understanding of the form</li><li>Respond to and assess pieces of writing with sensitivity.</li></ul><p>This is a creative writing course for beginners and intermediate level. Students will need to be able to write in fluent English and would benefit from some awareness of techniques used in creative writing.</p><p>Students will be taught through a mixture tutor presentation, class and pair discussion, group work, extract analysis and regular writing exercises throughout the day.<br><br>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.</p> <br />
<br />
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 <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.<p>Please bring writing materials. </p><p>You might want to consider a longer course in <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/writing-fiction" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Writing fiction</a>, or our <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/advanced-fiction-writing-workshop" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Advanced fiction workshop</a>.</p>Novels and short storiesNovels and short storiesvirtual797951HW705NONESun01/11/2610:30 - 16:3010:3016:301 session1One-off onlyWeekendOnlineOnlineLucy PopescuBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-11-01T00:00:00+00:00DaytimeNov 2026Writing7979Writing magical realismwriting-magical-realism/hw705-2627<p>Learn how fantasy and reality can meet in this interactive workshop on writing magical realism.</p>0000-Available|2026-11-01 00:00:00<p>This course is designed for those fascinated by magical realism, and interested in using elements of the style in their own writing.</p><p>Drawing on a range of texts, you’ll learn about the lineage of magical realism as a literary style, and how various authors have blurred the boundaries between real and fantasy worlds. You’ll get to grips with the techniques and aims of magical realism and apply these to your own creative writing.</p><p>Learn how fantasy and reality can meet in this interactive workshop on writing magical realism.</p><ul><li>The origins of magical realism and its tropes</li><li>The juxtaposition of the ordinary and extraordinary</li><li>The blurring of boundaries between the real and the surreal</li><li>Using myth and folklore within a realistic context</li><li>Identifying what sets a magical realist text apart from fantasy writing</li><li>Using elements of magical realism in your writing</li><li>How elements of magical realism affect your text.</li></ul><ul><li>Identify the key tropes of magical realism.</li><li>Generate ideas and experiment with different elements of magical realism in your writing</li><li>Write the opening to your own story</li><li>Write with greater confidence</li><li>Read texts with a critical eye to gain further understanding of the form</li><li>Respond to and assess pieces of writing with sensitivity.</li></ul><p>This is a creative writing course for beginners and intermediate level. Students will need to be able to write in fluent English and would benefit from some awareness of techniques used in creative writing.</p><p>Students will be taught through a mixture tutor presentation, class and pair discussion, group work, extract analysis and regular writing exercises throughout the day.<br><br>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.</p> <br />
<br />
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 <a href=" https://www.citylit.ac.uk/expectations-for-participating-in-writing-courses" target="_blank">expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit</a>.<p>Please bring writing materials.&nbsp;</p><p>You might want to consider a longer course in <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/writing-fiction" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Writing fiction</a>, or our <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/advanced-fiction-writing-workshop" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Advanced fiction workshop</a>.</p>Novels and short storiesNovels and short storiesconfigurable
158813599Novels and short storieshttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/writing/novels-and-short-stories/novels-and-short-stories-11/2/285/13581/13599/1588/Courses/Writing/Novels and short stories/Novels and short stories
