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 >
- Adoring the Christ Child in art: images of the very generous MagiCourse start date: Thu 11 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Emma Rose BarberThe images of the Adoration of the Magi will be taken from medieval illuminated manuscripts, as well as panel paintings done for churches and chapels and fresco cycles. Artists covered include Italian artists such as Duccio, Giotto, Botticelli, Fra Filippo Lippi, Fra Angelico, Gentile da Fabriano, and northern Renaissance artists including Gossaert and Breughel.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - German for opera lovers (intermediate and advanced) x mas specialCourse start date: Thu 11 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Katja ParmarCome to this one off German for German opera lovers x mas special in the heart of London.Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £31.00 Concession £25.00 - Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £29.00 Concession £29.00
- String Winter SchoolCourse start date: Fri 12 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Robert PuzeyLearn technique, repertoire and ensemble skills for all orchestral strings. Develop your confidence and make new string friends. For players at grade 3 or above.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £97.00 - German advanced: Von Hirten und Engelschören - die Advents- und Weihnachtszeit in der deutschen KunstCourse start date: Fri 12 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Annette KossowCome to this one off German advanced x mas special in the heart of London.Full fee £39.00 Senior fee £31.00 Concession £25.00 - Music history bookclub: The Great PassionCourse start date: Fri 12 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Edward BreenThe music history book club meets towards the end of each term to discuss novels and biographies with musical themes and references relevant to the music history programme.
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £19.00 - Christmas at the cinemaCourse start date: Sat 13 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: John WischmeyerCarefully-curated Christmas cornucopia overflows with seasonal films, from new entry The Holdovers (2023 Alexander Payne) to Home Alone (1990 Chris Columbus/John Hughes). This is a celebration of the genre of the Christmas film packed with clips and hidden gems: Scrooge (1951 Brian Desmond Hurst) remixed as a film noir, Lindsay Anderson’s Every Day Except Christmas (1957), his film about the old Covent Garden market later seen in My Fair Lady (1964) or Hitchcock’s Frenzy (1972) just before it closed down. Full of delights, discussions and a grown man dressed as an Elf (2003).Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Swedish grammar workshop: word orderCourse start date: Sat 13 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Jack Pulman-SlaterAre you learning Swedish and find yourself confused by word order? Where exactly should you put INTE in a sentence? Which words trigger a change in word order? We'll answer these questions and more on this supportive and structured online workshop.Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £19.00 - History of ideas: the invention of ChristmasCourse start date: Sat 13 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Angela PlattBeginning around the middle of the 19th century, a ‘new Christmas’ came into the fore; a reinvented Christmas, if you will. Why did this Christmas shift as it did – to produce the modern celebration many people still enjoy today? In this course, the stories of those groups and individuals who impacted this ‘reinvention of Christmas’ will be shared.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Lamplit HampsteadCourse start date: Mon 15 Dec 2025
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Marilyn GreeneDiscover the mysterious atmosphere to Hampstead on a tour after-dark where the streets are lit by old-fashioned lamps. We will wind through the narrow back streets and catch glimpses of its fascinating history from the glow of lamps and lit buildings. This tour is particularly stunning over the Festive season where subtle Christmas lights add to the effect. We will end at the historic Holly Bush Tavern where we can warm up with a drink!
Tour starts outside Wagamama 58-62 Heath Street, NW3 1EN Ends Hampstead Tube Station.Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - English entry 3 for deaf people - part 2Course start date: Mon 5 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This course will help you get become confident in your everyday communication including reading and writing. We will focus on topics that interest you and use these to help you improve the key elements of reading and writing as well as communication skills to enable you to express your thoughts and feelings including in difficult situations. You will learn to how write whole sentences and paragraphs, use adjectives effectively, organise your writing, make notes and complete drafts, spell important common words, use punctuation correctly and develop reading and writing strategies most suited to you. And you will learn some digital skills including reading and finding information from websites.
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 - English Entry 2 for deaf people - part 2Course start date: Tue 6 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This course will help you to get confident in reading, writing and communication. You will learn to read pieces of texts, write sentences, spell correctly and use punctuation. 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 - Book conservation and repair: leather-bound booksCourse start date: Wed 7 Jan 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Peter SpainLearn paper repair including toning, lining and infilling, and the repair and conservation of tight and hollow-backed full, half or quarter leather-bindings. Ideal if you have some bookbinding experience.Full fee £719.00 Senior fee £575.00 Concession £467.00 - Developing children's book illustrationCourse start date: Thu 8 Jan 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tim Ellis, Ciara FloodThis course is an intermediate and developing course, for learners to develop their practical and conceptual skills integral to the discipline of Children’s Book Illustration.
Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00
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