Writing Courses & Workshops Online & in London

It's rare for a film studio to inspire affection. The giants of Hollywood (Warner Bros, Fox or Paramount) or Britain (Rank/Pinewood, Elstree) might be admired, but not loved. Ealing Studios was loved, and still is, well over half a century since its heyday. Pinewood—now known as the James Bond studio (see HF233 British Bond: James Bond in Cinema, 21st February 2026)—was built by J. Arthur Rank in 1936 and merged with Shepperton Studios in 2001 to become one of the technically advanced studios in the British film industry. Join us as we explore the history of these key British studios from their inception to the present day.

In large parts of the Global South, corruption is rampant but that was not always the case. By upending local values and customs and forcibly replacing indigenous institutions with Westerns structures, colonialism introduced systemic corruption on a grand scale that continues to this day.

Come together with others to explore the work of different playwrights, share the spoken word and gain insight into different plays. These fun and friendly sessions are for people who would like to read and discuss plays under the guidance of a theatre professional. Working in a supportive atmosphere you will read out loud and discuss the main themes of a range of both contemporary and classic texts.

The pursuit of happiness is ongoing. In the ancient Greek world this gave rise to several ‘philosophies of life’ that remain the cornerstone of contemporary attitudes. Join this course to explore their key sources.

Although inextricably linked to Britain, Ireland’s history, identity, and nationhood has equally been shaped by its relationship with Europe. This course traces Ireland’s development from the coming of the English invasion in 1169 to the Coronation of Henry V111 as King of Ireland in 1541.

Why have so many British authors set stories in and around an important house? How does the structure, history and atmosphere of a great house affect plot and narrative? And where do authors derive their inspiration to build fictional houses that capture readers’ imaginations so fully? The novels on this course all focus on one finely imagined house and demonstrate the author’s own personal concerns of the time.

This study day will examine the question of the association of women with magic and witchcraft.

F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) is acknowledged as one of the all-time greats of cinema, expressing as one critic describes it, the ‘poetry of fear’ and as one of the first feature length vampire films it’s influence, and legacy has been widely felt. Robert Eggers’ recent remake Nosferatu (2024), comes just over one hundred years after Murnau's film and marks one of the most recent instalments in a genre that continues to renew itself for each generation of film viewers. Exploring a range of key vampire films from across this century of cinema, this course will explore why the vampire film remains such a popular sub-genre of the horror film and it will consider why it continues to exercise such power over its spectators.