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 >
- Seeing inside paintingsCourse start date: Thu 16 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Caroline RaeDiscover the secrets of the Old Masters and learn how they created their wonderful effects in this introductory course on painters and painting. We will consider the physical history and scientific examination of artworks in relation to aspects including forgeries, hidden paintings and conservation/ restoration.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00 - Introduction to beaded jewelleryCourse start date: Fri 17 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Beverley SellFancy trying your hand at beaded jewellery making? Learn how to work with beads, wire, thread and findings to create beautiful beaded necklaces, bracelets, earrings and tiara designs. Join our introductory course for all levels to discover where to find the best beads, how to knot with thread, manipulate and twist wire and learn how to finish your work using clasps.
- Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
- Design with Adobe Photoshop and IllustratorCourse start date: Fri 17 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Gita HahnA thorough, step-by-step introduction to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator – programs widely used by designers and illustrators in the creative industries. Learn and experiment with a range of techniques that integrate vector and pixel-based images for design and illustration.Full fee £439.00 Senior fee £351.00 Concession £285.00 - History, memory and mental wealth: why we need to talk about empireCourse start date: Fri 17 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Martin JorgensenFormally, European imperialism ended decades ago. Yet, the different legacies still affect the world and many societies today. Join us for a discussion on why we need to talk about empire and mental wealth.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs: an introduction for beginners at the British MuseumCourse start date: Fri 17 Oct 2025
Location on this date: The British Museum
Tutors: Hugo CookThis four-week course delves into the written words and thoughts of the ancient Egyptians. Students will gain a foundation in the iconic writing of hieroglyphs, putting their newfound skills into practice by reading original texts from British Museum artefacts. This is a truly fascinating and intricate language, and it offers its readers the ability to understand the lost voices of one of history’s most remarkable civilisations. The class will be held at the British Museum.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £90.00 - French beginners: focus on pronunciationCourse start date: Fri 17 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Estelle HélouinHaving difficulties pronouncing your French ‘r’s and ‘u’s? Practise some difficult sounds on this lively course and impress your French friends!Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £31.00 Concession £25.00 - Some like it Indie: How the Independents Revoultionised Postwar HollywoodCourse start date: Fri 17 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
What do The Apartment, The Great Escape, West Side Story, In the Heat of the Night, The Pink Panther, The Magnificent Seven, Fiddler on the Roof and Some Like it Hot have in common? They were all produced by one small production company, run by three brothers, as the studio system was replaced by the new independent producers. Most Hollywood history fetishizes the 1970s as the decade in which the movies finally came of age. But this course looks back to the late ‘50s and ‘60s and zooms in on a single independent production company, the Mirisch Company, to understand the seismic shift that transformed Hollywood – not only in how films were produced but also in terms of the subjects and styles of the films themselves.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - PC maintenance: an introductionCourse start date: Fri 17 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Terry MyersLearn how to troubleshoot and solve common computer hardware problems. Discover what is inside a computer, how it works and how to upgrade computer components.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00
- Physics unravelled: navigating the maze of string theoryCourse start date: Sat 18 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Gary RetallickWith its promise of answering questions about black holes, gravity and dark matter/energy, string theory has captivated many physicists for the past 50 years. In this course, we will look at string theory in a non-technical way and consider what the prospects are for this remarkable theory.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Reasoning and God: an introduction to theologyCourse start date: Sat 18 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Edgar Ter-DanielyanThis course is an introduction to theology – reasoned discourse on the Christian understanding of God, his nature, and his relationship with human beings and the created order.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00
- What is a Short Story?Course start date: Sat 18 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alexander Fairbairn-DixonWhat is a short story? Come and discuss its characteristics, its length, design, mood and style. What distinguishes it from other kinds of short narrative? We’ll compare short stories to other forms, such as myths, legends, anecdotes, fabliaux, parables, fables, and ‘tales’. We’ll look at some of the greatest practitioners including Edgar Allan Poe, Katherine Mansfield, and O’ Henry.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Nordic Noir: Novel, Film, TelevisionCourse start date: Sat 18 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Paul SuttonThe early 2000s saw the emergence of a number of Swedish and Norwegian crime series onto UK TV screens, including Wallander (dir. various, 2005-10), Forbrydelsen/The Killing (dir. Various, 2007), Borgen (dir. various 2010) and The Bridge (dir. various 2011), all broadcast on BBC4. The popularity of these dramas led to one critic to refer to them as ‘Nordic noir, the gift that keeps on giving’. Similarly successful were the film adaptations of Stieg Larsson’s hugely popular Millenium trilogy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009 and 2011), The Girl who Played with Fire (2009) and The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (2009). This one-day course will explore the history, context, development and reception of these TV dramas and films while also considering the various processes of adaptation and remaking involved in their production.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
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