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 >
- Medieval LondonCourse start date: Tue 23 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mike BerlinThis course explores the forces that shaped London between the coming of the Normans and the age of
the Tudors. - British Literature of the 1930s: Brits AbroadCourse start date: Tue 23 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lewis WardOn this in-college literature course we will explore what some of the most significant British authors of the period did and thought on their travels, real and imagined, in the decade leading up to World War II. Authors include Graham Greene, Christopher Isherwood, Jean Rhys and George Orwell.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00 - Victorian VisionsCourse start date: Tue 23 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Julian Birkett“It was the best of times…it was the worst of times.”
How did the Victorians see the world? They lived through one of the most dramatic periods in our history – and their literature reflects that. Victorian Visions looks at a wide variety of themes in Victorian culture: from the city to the home, from dreams to nightmares, from faith to doubt, from moralism to decadence, from ideology to empire.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £207.00 Concession £168.00 - Pilates: balance and strengthCourse start date: Tue 23 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Eleanor ShearnThis is a mixed levels Pilates course focusing on improving posture, mobility, muscle strength and balance. While conferring the benefits of a regular Pilates class, there is a particular emphasis on improving fitness to aid balance. - Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £84.00
- Calligraphy and illuminationCourse start date: Tue 23 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Emiko HashiguchiLearn how to write beautifully with a dip pen and design and produce a piece of work with illuminated letters using colour and gold leaf. All levels.Full fee £369.00 Senior fee £295.00 Concession £240.00 - Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £125.00
- Lithography print workshopCourse start date: Tue 23 Sep 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Simon BurderLearn how to produce work that mimics a painterly style using lithography printmaking processes. Lithography depends on the delicate balance between grease and water and can provide a broad range of outcomes. Learn how marks and brush strokes drawn and painted on the printing plate can be faithfully reproduced to create bold or subtle prints.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £191.00 Concession £155.00 - The Birth of English TragedyCourse start date: Tue 23 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alexander Fairbairn-DixonCome and explore three pioneering tragedies of the early English Renaissance commercial stage (1585-1592): The Spanish Tragedy (1586), Arden of Faversham (1588-92), and Tamburlaine Part I (1587). These plays were to become the models setting the standard and blueprint for three influential sub-genres: Revenge Tragedy, Domestic Tragedy, and Heroic Tragedy. We’ll look at their dramatic inventiveness, creativity in handling sources, and why they enthralled contemporary audiences.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - Literature taster: poetryCourse start date: Wed 24 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sophie OxenhamCurious about reading poetry? Join us for this taster session to boost your confidence and whet your appetite for further learning and exploration!
Full fee £19.00 Senior fee £15.00 Concession £12.00 - Mozart's ViennaCourse start date: Wed 24 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Pauline GreeneMozart’s music has come to stand for the greatest and most beautiful aspects of the Western classical tradition. But who was he? And what exactly did he do? Come and discover more about this famous Vienese composer. break week 29 Oct 2025.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £188.00 - Reading Shakespeare: a director's perspective - Merchant of Venice and OthelloCourse start date: Wed 24 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Laura BaggaleyTake a fresh look at Shakespeare, exploring selected plays in the company of an experienced theatre director. With performance in mind, we will examine the language and themes of two plays, watch and compare clips of stage productions and discuss the extraordinary variety to be found in Shakespeare’s work.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £175.00 Concession £142.00 - Chi Kung five elements: moving from the centre: all levelsCourse start date: Wed 24 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Heike ClarkeWould you like to add some stillness to your existing chi kung practice?
In this weekly course we will follow the support cycle of the five elements earth, metal, water, wood and fire. With a focus on earth and metal. We will slow down and connect to stillness, become more grounded, centred and relaxed, get a better energy flow and become more aware of ourselves, others and our surroundings. We will also do some standing and sitting meditation.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £167.00 Concession £146.00 - Writing fantasy storiesCourse start date: Wed 24 Sep 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Victoria M. AdamsBuild fantastical worlds, fill them with compelling characters and learn how to structure innovative plotlines in this perfect introduction for those with a passion for fantasy.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £130.00 - Yoga for Deaf people: mixed levelsCourse start date: Wed 24 Sep 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sarah ScottDiscover enhanced energy - as you find space in your body to breathe and move a little more freely and with more awareness. This course will help to deepen your yoga, your inner strength and stamina for this wild world. We will draw on breathing practices (pranayama) and mudras to steady and calm the mind.
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