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 >
- ESOL and making podcasts: pronunciation, presentation, expression (level 1-2)Course start date: Sun 10 May 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Do you want to improve your pronunciation, learn more about how you sound when you speak English and develop your speaking? A podcast is a digital recording, which can be used in a very practical way to help develop your English. On this course, you will discover how to make and edit a podcast to record yourself as well as what to say and how to say it. You will be able to practise speaking on your own and interviewing others as well as learn how to prepare what to say and how to say it. Podcasting is a fantastic way of improving your pronunciation, your vocabulary, your spoken accuracy, and your fluency.
You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name).
Please note you will need to download the free Audacity software and have a headset with mic to do this course.
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 £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £85.00 - Getting ready for essential digital skills for work (Level 1)Course start date: Tue 12 May 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Do you have some digital skills but lack confidence to use them? Would you like to gain the most essential digital skills needed for today's workplace? If so, and you need to develop the foundational digital skills for today's job market, this is the course for you. The course will give you the confidence to use different digital devices and tools to collaborate and communicate efficiently with work colleagues, to create and edit documents and presentations, and make simple spreadsheets. You will learn about different types of digital communication as well as how to use online resources for finding and using information and completing transactions. You will learn the transferable digital skills you need to progress, participate and express yourself in the workplace and gain a qualification. 53% of UK employees do not have the digital skills needed for work. You don't need to be one of them.
Please note: you MUST pass the first part of the course, attend every class and do the necessary homework. If you do not, you will not be able to continue the course.
You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name.
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 £69.00 - ESOL - communication skills for life and work -level 1 (Writing)Course start date: Tue 19 May 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
This is the Writing unit of the ESOL course to give you confidence in writing a range of sentences for personal writing, and formal and informal texts. You will focus on using correct grammar (such as subject-verb agreement, correct use of tense) and become aware of the distinct differences between spoken and written English. You will focus on notetaking, planning and organising writing into paragraphs, developing a narrative and ending writing with a summary or conclusion.
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 £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £140.00 - Introduction to BSLCourse start date: Tue 20 May 2025 (and 10 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alexia LumleyInterested in learning British Sign Language? Learn some basic vocabulary and grammar, and decide if you want to progress to the level 1 qualification.Full fee £259.00 Senior fee £259.00 Concession £181.00 - Effective counselling skills for speech and language therapistsCourse start date: Mon 18 May 2026 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Louise Hillyer, Anita McKiernan, Amy StewartDesigned for SLTs working with any client group, this interactive workshop will help you develop practical counselling skills. Topics include developing the therapeutic relationship, boundaries, ways of responding, paraphrasing, reflecting, questioning, immediacy, self disclosure and loss.Full fee £499.00 Senior fee £499.00 Concession £499.00 - Drawing 1Course start date: Thu 22 May 2025 (and 10 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Andrea VoiseyAn introduction to drawing from observation through a carefully structured approach in a studio environment. Suitable for beginners.Full fee £429.00 Senior fee £343.00 Concession £279.00 - Become more lipreadableCourse start date: Fri 22 May 2026 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lorraine BragginsDo you know a hard of hearing or deaf person who needs to lipread you? Find out how lipreading works and how you can make some small adjustments in order to become more 'lipreadable'.
This course will be taught in spoken English and not in sign language.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £69.00 - Photography for beginnersCourse start date: Tue 5 May 2026 (and 17 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Sara Leigh LewisAlways wondered what half the buttons on your camera actually do? Discover how to use them properly and produce impressive photographs, even as a complete beginner. Gain useful technical knowledge and get expert creative guidance in easy-to-understand language. An ideal first step before enrolling on our intermediate courses.Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00 - Essential digital skills for work (Level 1)Course start date: Tue 26 May 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Do you have some digital skills but lack confidence to use them? Would you like to gain the most essential digital skills needed for today's workplace? If so, and you need to develop the foundational digital skills for today's job market, this is the course for you. The course will give you the confidence to use different digital devices and tools to collaborate and communicate efficiently with work colleagues, to create and edit documents and presentations, and make simple spreadsheets. You will learn about different types of digital communication as well as how to use online resources for finding and using information and completing transactions. You will learn the transferable digital skills you need to progress, participate and express yourself in the workplace and gain a qualification. 53% of UK employees do not have the digital skills needed for work. You don't need to be one of them.
Please note: you MUST pass the first part of the course, attend every class and do the necessary homework. If you do not, you will not be able to continue the course.
You need to do a pre-course assessment. Contact universal.skills@citylit.ac.uk / 020 8078 0489 for a face-to-face assessment or click the Start Assessment button on this page. Log on with your email address (not name.
This course is free for learners who have digital skills assessed as below level 1. For more information Click here
Full fee £319.00 - Train the TrainerCourse start date: Sat 25 Oct 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Trevor England'Train the Trainer' is a practical 2 day course designed to help you gain ideas for effective facilitation and managing groups. It is suitable if you are thinking of becoming a trainer and want to gain confidence in planning and facilitating the training, or if you are an experienced trainer and want to refresh your practice. You will leave with some tools and techniques that will ensure your training is engaging and productive for your learners. On day 2 you will have the opportunity to deliver a short micro-training or interactive presentation. You are required to attend both days of this course.Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £189.00 Concession £129.00 - Digital skills for business: how to present and communicate data integrating Word, PowerPoint and Excel - a project-based approach (advanced)Course start date: Sun 31 May 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Are you already an experienced and skilful user of Word, Excel and PowerPoint? Are you working as a lead administrator? Do you want to extend your skills so you can integrate these three programs to produce high quality and sophisticated documents? This course will help you combine your Microsoft 365 skills by working on business projects that enable you to analyse data at a high level and also present your findings in a clear and dynamic way. You will learn how to link and embed data across the programs, how to integrate Excel data and charts with PowerPoint and Word, how, how to use Word to create a new PowerPoint presentation and how to use Word to create customizable PowerPoint speaker notes and handouts.
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 £169.00 Senior fee £135.00 Concession £85.00 - Contemporary watercolour painting projectsCourse start date: Sat 23 May 2026 (and 6 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Anne-Marie FosterThrough a set of short projects inspired by contemporary practitioners and their contribution to the uniqueness of the medium, the course will help you expand your understanding of watercolour and enable you to make informed choices in making personal work. It will also feature some approaches to painting, beyond the immediate western tradition to provide broader technical and critical insights.Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £311.00 Concession £253.00 - Beginners BSLCourse start date: Wed 6 May 2026 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Alesia Parshutsina
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £104.00 - Assertiveness for newly qualified speech and language therapistsCourse start date: Wed 13 May 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vivien Grant-JonesDevelop your personal effectiveness by learning and practising some key assertiveness skills that are highly relevant in a range of situations including: attending an interview, working with clients, communicating with your manager/supervisor and contributing to an MDT meeting.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00 - 50 drawings in a dayCourse start date: Sun 3 May 2026 (and 8 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Mario Lautier VellaA high energy programme of directed and self-directed drawing projects, with rapid shifts in materials, scale, subject and focus. Strictly no discards - come ready to play, risk, invent and discuss. For those with some drawing experience.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £129.00
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