Writing Courses & Workshops
At City Lit, we offer a supportive and inspiring environment where you can enhance your writing and gain confidence. Our courses are designed to help you find your voice, sharpen your writing skills, and take your work to the next level. Whether you're writing short stories, poetry, or working on a novel, you'll receive expert guidance and feedback from experienced tutors.
Learn from Published Authors
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.
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 >
See what it's like be part a City Lit online creative writing course.
- Performance poetry
Course start date: Sat 21 Jun 2025 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Megan BeechWrite poetry and perform it, finding your own style and delivery under the guidance of a spoken word artist. Explore the differences between performance and other forms of poetry.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Queering characterisation: writing LGBTQIA+ characters Course start date: Sat 21 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Char HeatherJoin this interactive one-day course which brings together essential elements of characterisation and its relation to plot through the lens of queer writing. You will delve into elements of craft in characterisation while referring back to examples and questions of LGBTQIA+ representation and histories in literature.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - How to write sex scenes in fiction Course start date: Sat 21 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Liam KonemannLearn how to write compelling and convincing sex scenes in this short course suitable for those writing fiction.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - How to spark your creative writingCourse start date: Sat 21 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sophie McKenzieDiscover the joy of creative writing! Leave stress and worry at the door and find new ways to express your creativity on this fun, dynamic and supportive short course. - Picture book writing Course start date: Sun 22 Jun 2025 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Andrew WealeWould you like to write a picture book text for young children? This course is designed for children's writers and for illustrators wishing to write their own stories; a starter course to develop both your ideas and your technique.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £75.00 - Travel writing workshop Course start date: Mon 23 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Susan GrossmanMake travelling pay. Learn how to get a commission, finance a trip and put your adventures into words, led by practical exercises and expert industry guidance. - How to write a thrillerCourse start date: Sat 28 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sophie McKenzieLearn the art of writing a thriller novel, from concept and character to the twists and turns of story pacing. - Write a short story in a weekend Course start date: Sat 28 Jun 2025 (and 4 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Rene PerezTurn your great idea into a short story on this fun practical course. You'll be introduced to some key fiction writing techniques and encouraged to draft a short story from beginning to end. Suitable for beginners who are comfortable learning at a fast pace.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £60.00 - Creative writing: getting started Course start date: Sat 28 Jun 2025 (and 9 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vicky GrutGive creative writing a try on this fun and supportive online short course. Ideal if you want to write but need help getting started. Guided exercises will encourage you to experiment and unlock your imagination.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Masters of style: reading and writing Virginia Woolf Course start date: Sat 28 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Thomas McMullan, Patricia SweeneyVirginia Woolf was one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers. Her approaches to writing character interiority were at the forefront of modernist literary innovations. This day workshop explores the literary interpretations of several seminal texts and writing exercises that encourage you to experiment with Woolf’s stream-of-consciousness style. - Writing political journalism Course start date: Sat 28 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Erica BuistWhether you’re looking for a role at a newspaper or want to pitch freelance pieces, this one-day course will cover the basics of writing journalistically about politics.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Writing film journalism Course start date: Sat 28 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Colin CrummyLearn how to write journalistically about film, from features to reviews, in this intensive one-day course.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Local history writing Course start date: Sat 28 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Allis MossOn this inspiring short course you will learn how to write local history books, booklets and features; covering a wide range of topics such as family, home towns, old buildings, parks, markets and beyond. - Writing eco-poetry Course start date: Sat 28 Jun 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sarah WestcottHow might poets write about the natural world today, and what is an eco-poem?Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Interviewing skills for journalists Course start date: Wed 2 Jul 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Susan GrossmanWant to get people to spill the beans? This fascinating taster explores the core elements of interviewing and getting quotes to enhance your writing or storytelling.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00
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