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 >
- Friday Lates: the art of zinesCourse start date: Fri 21 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Christopher CollierUnderground passions and radical imagery have defined so-called fanzines for over 80 years. From the earliest examples to today, we explore their content, technique and the relation of DIY culture to wider artistic practices.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Friday lates: Cook must fall! Portraits of Captain James Cook, new and oldCourse start date: Fri 28 Nov 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Ben PollittExplore the portrayal of Captain James Cook from c. 1770 to the present day. Understand images of Cook provide us with a fascinating platform to think about the complicated relationships that have emerged out of British Empire and what used to be thought of as its imperial possessions.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - From mythical heroines to the emperor's subjects: epistolography in the Roman EmpireCourse start date: Tue 2 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Nikoletta ManiotiFind out more about epistolography (letter writing) as a literary genre in the Roman world.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Una stagione con Dante: introduzioneCourse start date: Wed 3 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Francesco BucciolThis session - conducted entirely in Italian - is the first part of an introduction to the Divine Comedy. The first session introduces you to Dante's life, his political and philosophical views and gives an overview of the structure of the poem. We will devote the following three sessions (from January onwards) to reading, analysing and commenting on a selection of cantos. Please note that the selection of the cantos read in the following sessions will be different from that of previous years, so you are welcome to re-enrol even if you have attended before.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Spanish 3 upper tasterCourse start date: Tue 9 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Come and discover what an intermediate Spanish class feels like.
This course is suitable if you have studied Spanish for about 4/5 years recently.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £19.00 - Italian film nightCourse start date: Wed 10 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Francesco BucciolWith proceeds going to the City Lit Student Bursary, the Italian Film Night is a chance to round out the term with a fun movie night in the college. The film will be presented by Francesco Bucciol, head of the Classics department and our Italian GCSE and A Level tutor. Francesco will also lead a discussion after the film.
For this term's Italian film night, we will be showing and discussing excerpts from a classic (perhaps THE classic) Italian film, La Dolce Vita.Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £39.00 - Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00
- Hindi through Bollywood singingCourse start date: Tue 16 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Roopam AggarwalLearn to speak Hindi and develop your listening and speaking skills in this communicative class which emphasizes the practical use of the language via singing. Suitable for complete beginners.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £19.00 - English for deaf people: English for work - reading and writing skills (entry 3) - part 2Course start date: Mon 5 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This course is suitable if you are looking for or already are in employment. The aim of the course is to help you to acquire English skills necessary for communication at work via e-mails, memos, reports etc. This course has no exams.
This course is free for learners who have not achieved a GCSE grade C (4) and higher in English. For more information Click here
Full fee £0.00 - Carving in woodCourse start date: Tue 13 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alexandra Harley.Full fee £529.00 Senior fee £423.00 Concession £344.00 - Art and Ideas: Identity and the selfCourse start date: Thu 8 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Online
This course is for students and creative practitioners interested in identity as a creative and conceptual theme. Explore and discuss ideas, theories and work by significant artists and writers to enhance and inspire the development of creative work.Full fee £199.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £139.00 - Fretted instruments ensembleCourse start date: Mon 12 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Martin WheatleyAn ensemble class for players of any fretted instrument: guitar, banjo, ukulele, mandolin, banjo, bass guitar or any other! There will be individual parts for each player suited to their abilities; together we will play all sorts of music. This course is for experienced players, the ability to read one of the following will be necessary: chord symbols, tablature or musical notation. Challenging and fun - the music/repertoire will be tailored to your various abilities.
Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £153.00 - Music theory: counterpoint 2Course start date: Tue 13 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Selena KayExplore the art of counterpoint, a musical technique in which two or more melodies are combined to create a highly engaging musical texture. Through analysis and practical exercises, you'll learn to write effective counterpoint in the tonal style, focusing on the Baroque period. Leads to part 3 next term. Scheduled break week: 17 Feb 2026. - Workplace communication with digital skills: English for the office and business (intermediate level 1-level 2)Course start date: Tue 13 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Are you working in an office and need to improve your communication skills? Would you like to become an administrator but feel your written English is holding you back? This course will help you become a confident, flexible and successful communicator in writing, in person, on the phone and online. You will work on using the right language for written documents and for when speaking to colleagues, managers, customers, in meetings and on the phone. You will focus on different levels of formal and informal communication and how to speak and write clearly and concisely, with appropriate tone e.g. in emails and letters on a PC. You will also work on how to lay out key documents using Word, spell well and punctuate correctly. You will also start to learn about the cloud and how to use key parts of Microsoft 365. By the end of this course, you will confident you can work successfully in an office environment.
Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for information and to book a pre-course assessment. You can also click the Start Assessment button on this page.
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 £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £75.00 - Accents: Standard English level 2Course start date: Tue 13 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Jonathan MulquinThis intermediate course is focused on studying the sounds and rhythms of Standard English in connected speech. What are the rules when putting sounds together when speaking fluently? How do these sounds create the accent and its rhythm?
This course is not for speakers of other languages who should take English Pronunciation courses instead. Although it is a follow-on course, it is also a complete course in itself.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £90.00
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