Writing Courses & Workshops Online & in London
Be inspired to write, and learn how to get published at the college where Andrea Levy, Malorie Blackman, Anna Burns, and other celebrated authors studied. Read our success stories to see what's possible for you as a writer.
Learn from published authors
Whether you're just starting out or ready to publish your first book, the benefits of our writing courses include expert tuition from a published author and feedback on your work as you develop your writing skills. There will also be opportunities to participate in group discussions and activities with fellow students.
Unheard Voices Scholarship
City Lit’s Malorie Blackman Scholarships for 'Unheard Voices' provide three annual awards to fund one year’s study within the Creative Writing department at City Lit. Learn more >
See what it's like be part a City Lit online creative writing course.
- Transcribe jazz solosCourse start date: Sun 12 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tim RichardsA study and sharing group for experienced jazz players with a good working knowledge of harmony and experience of improvising. We will focus on in-depth listening and transcription of recorded examples by jazz musicians. Sessions will include demonstration and performance opportunities. The class meets at college once a month. Course dates: 12 October, 9 November, 7 December, 18 January, 15 February, 15 March.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £269.00 Concession £188.00 - Using your voice for audio books and talking newspapersCourse start date: Mon 12 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: David ThorpeWould you like to narrate audio books? Are you interested in community work such as talking newspapers for the blind? Explore vocal skills and techniques required in these areas and identify what style works for you. This course will be delivered in the college.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £104.00 - Russian 5: advanced conversationCourse start date: Mon 13 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Inessa RayThis is an advanced discussion group covering cultural issues with relevant points of grammar, as and when necessary. You should have an advanced level (5 years or more) of spoken Russian.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £103.00 - Literary translation in practice (French into English)Course start date: Mon 13 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Trista SelousDo you enjoy reading in French and writing in English? Are you interested in the similarities and differences between the two cultures? Come and join this interactive translation course.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £149.00 - Introduction to contemporary art: ideas and originsCourse start date: Mon 13 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Christopher CollierEver wondered what's going on in the mind of contemporary artists? This course explores the ideas and historical background behind some of today’s most intriguing works, from Conceptualism and Video to Body Art and Installation.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00 - Picture book writing: advanced
Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025 (and 3 other dates)Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Andrew WealeWould you like to workshop, edit and polish your picture book texts for young children? This course is designed for advanced picture book writers wishing to hone their skills and improve their own stories.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £199.00 Concession £100.00 - Working with adults who stammer: a course for speech and language therapists Course start date: Mon 13 Oct 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Carolyn Cheasman, Vivien Grant-JonesDesigned for speech and language therapists, this four-day interactive workshop will cover assessment and selection, stammering modification, interiorised stammering, cluttering, acquired stammering and an introduction to mindfulness. Opportunity to practise teaching techniques to clients included.
Note: this course runs on these days: October 13-15; and a final follow-up day on March 30..Full fee £599.00 Senior fee £599.00 Concession £599.00 - Making it Modern: A Survey of 20th century poetryCourse start date: Mon 13 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Suzannah V. EvansWhat makes a poet modern? What is the different between modern poetry and modernist poetry? How has modern poetry informed the work of poets writing today? Come and explore the exciting range of poetry written in the twentieth century in a supportive and energising group context.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £142.00 - Spanish 5: Spanish book clubCourse start date: Mon 13 Oct 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Elena Ugarte¿Te gusta leer en español? ¿Te interesa practicar tu español leyendo novelas y compartiendo tus ideas con otras personas? Si es el caso, este Book Club es para ti. En dos sesiones tendrás la oportunidad de descubrir la novela de un(a) autor(a) español(a) o suramericano/a y de analizarla en grupo, lo cual te permitirá mejorar tu comprensión escrita y tu conversación en un ambiente relajado pero enfocado.
Please note that there are two options for this course: LS517 and LS518; each happening on a different day of the week. You may choose the option that suits your schedule best. However, please note that it is not possible to alternate between the sessions of one course and those of the other.
Course dates for LS517: Mondays 13th of October and 10th of November 2025
Course dates for LS518: Thursdays 16th of October and 13th of November 2025
Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00 - Develop your confidence in writing: grammar, punctuation, expression (level 1-2) Course start date: Fri 2 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Would you like to be more confident in the way you write whether emails or reports at work or messages to friends? Do you want to work on how you form sentences, understand grammar and use punctuation so your writing is more creative? Do you want to learn how to create meaning in your writing?. This course will help you be more secure in your professional, academic or creative writing skills and help you improve some of your weak areas around forming and punctuating sentences with appropriate grammatical form. You will develop your confidence in the most essential areas of writing including different sentence structures, writing paragraphs, using punctuation effectively, using active and passive voices and proofreading.
You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).
This course is FREE if you are employed and on a low wage or you are claiming benefits. For more information Click here
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £90.00 - Literary translation in practice (Portuguese into English)Course start date: Tue 14 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Christina BaumDo you enjoy reading in Portuguese and writing in English? Are you interested in the similarities and differences between English-speaking and Portuguese-speaking cultures? Do you have a particular interest and/or background in literature, especially literature in other languages? Would you like to see if you have a special knack for translation, perhaps with a view to doing it professionally? Come and join this interactive translation course to hone your translation skills. - French 3 lower: conversationCourse start date: Wed 15 Oct 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Michel WillameCome and practise your intermediate spoken French and develop your language skills in these topical discussion classes. Based on recordings from French television, radio news and newspaper articles.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £103.00 - Spanish 4/5: artistas de color contemporaneosCourse start date: Wed 15 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Anna Riera MoraEn el campo del arte la tendencia general es poner el foco en los creadores blancos que, a su vez, suelen poner el foco en sujetos de su misma raza. La falta de visibilidad conlleva una falta de representación y la representación es fundamental para crear referentes. (Inés de León, 2020)
Ideal para estudiantes de nivel 4 o 5 o que han estudiado español por 5 años (los participantes deben tener las habilidades necesarias para debatir activamente en clase usando el español).
No es necesario tener conocimientos previos del arte.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Art and War: Art at the Imperial War Museum Course start date: Wed 15 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Julie BarlowThe IWM opened in 1920 and moved to its current London site in 1936, with the intention of recording military action in which the United Kingdom was and has been involved since WW1. The museum has an exciting new thematic display of its extensive art collection. Explore how artists respond to conflict both in the past and today.
Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Spanish 3 upper: Arte español en Londres de Velázquez a SorollaCourse start date: Wed 15 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Anna Riera MoraMejora tu español a través de un recorrido por el arte español.
En este curso, podrás desarrollar tus habilidades lingüísticas en español a través del análisis y la discusión de algunas obras maestras españolas de prestigiosas colecciones de arte londinenses como The National Gallery, la Wallace Collection y Apsley House (la casa de Wellington).
Ideal for students who have done 3 or 4 years of Spanish, have studied present and past tenses (B1 level), and are looking to practise more talking and listening skills.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £90.00
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