Humanities
From ‘Africa today’ to ‘Writing fiction’, the Humanities department offers an extraordinarily wide variety of part-time courses. Many of our tutors are nationally recognised in their own fields, with award-winning novelists, poets and writers for children; published historians on everything from the ancient world to modern London; and practising professionals in the media.As a learner you can also benefit from our partnerships with organisations such as the British Film Institute, The British Museum, the London Transport Museum, London Metropolitan University and many others.
» Click here to view a prospectus pdf for Humanities
- A taste of creative writing
- Advanced critical workshop for creative writers
- Approaches to writing
- Autobiographical writing
- Autobiography into fiction
- Comedy sketch writing
- Comedy writing for TV: the mechanics
- Comedy's heart of darkness
- Creating fiction
- Creative non-fiction
- Creative writing: making characters work
- Crime writing: an introduction
- Developing your writing
- Exploring fiction
- Furthering your creative writing
- Getting your poetry published
- How to write fiction
- How to write novels
- How to write novels (continuation)
- Improve your English through creative writing (level 1)
- Improve your English through creative writing (level 2)
- Introduction to novel plotting
- Joke writing
- Playwriting: an introduction
- Playwriting: stage 1
- Playwriting: stage 1 (continuation)
- Playwriting: stage 1(continuation)
- Playwriting: stage 2
- Poetry in the making
- Poetry in the making with John Stammers
- Reading for writers
- Screenwriting: an introduction
- Screenwriting: stage 1
- Screenwriting: stage 2
- Screenwriting: the horror film
- Scriptwriting for television
- Scriptwriting for television: an introduction
- Short story writing : daytime
- Short story writing: evening
- The art of lying: creative writing
- Timelines for writers
- Try your hand at writing drama: a taster
- Ways into creative writing
- Ways into poetry
- Write a short story in a weekend
- Write nonsense! From Alice in Wonderland to Spike Milligan
- Writers' club
- Writing a short film
- Writing children's books
- Writing children's books (continuation)
- Writing comedy scripts
- Writing fiction
- Writing for children
- Writing for children (continuation)
- Writing for children workshop
- Writing for children: a taster
- Writing for children: the picture book
- Writing short stories for magazines
- Writing thriller screenplays
- Writing your family biography
- A Brief Encounter with David Lean: genius of visual narrative
- A taste of film
- Action and adventure cinema
- Alternative cinema
- An introduction to film
- Breaking into the film industry
- Contemporary cinema: see it now
- Desert island Hitchcock: the director vanishes
- Dreams written in stardust: the wonderful first 30 years of film
- French cinema
- From the Blacklist to the new wave: 'foreign films'
- Imagining the documentary: styles and forms
- Key films of the 20th century
- Lock, Stock and London to Brighton Rock
- Monday movies: afternoon introduction to cinema
- Scene by scene: Atonement
- Scene by scene: The Birds
- Silent film: the birth of the cinema
- The Celluloid city
- Visions of dystopia
- Women in Hollywood: from comediennes to divas
- World cinema
- 20th century Britain through famous cartoonists
- Africa today: the dynamics of change
- An introduction to classical Greece
- An introduction to modern China
- Ancient Crete: kings of the sea
- Anton Chekhov and his art
- Architecture and transport: Holden and the Piccadilly
- Assyrian art in the British Museum: the lion hunt
- Beyond good and evil
- Blood & Empire: was the Indian Mutiny worthy of remembrance
- Chinese people and cultures
- Current affairs: part 1
- Current affairs: part 2
- Democracy health check: is parliament well
- Dresden: a musical paradise
- Egypt: the reign of Rameses the Great and its sequel
- Egyptian mummies: the Greek and Roman influence
- Espionage and intrigue at the court of Henry VIII
- Flashpoints in recent history: part 1
- Flashpoints in recent history: part 2
- Greek vase painting as silent poetry
- Gunpowder, treason and plot
- Homes fit for heroes - Housing Londoners 1919-50
- Human rights and international relations part 1
- Human rights and international relations part 2
- Human rights and refugees
- Images of history: 19th century Britain
- International human rights: biased and selectively applied
- Introduction to classical Rome: history, politics and society
- Introduction to classical Rome: society and the arts
- Introduction to classical studies: Greek poetry and vases
- Introduction to Islam part 1: history
- Introduction to Islam part 2: intellectual life
- Introduction to Islam part 3: art and culture
- Introduction to Islam part 4: contemporary society
- Israel and the seeds of conflict: the Balfour Declaration
- London at war: 1939-45
- London's social housing and the garden city tradition movement
- Middle Eastern body trail in the British Museum
- More current affairs
- Music and history: Mussorgsky and Russian history
- Music of the late medieval period
- New York: a 20th century story
- New York: music for the 20th Century
- Peace processes and how they can succeed
- Pompeii: a city that time remembered
- Raffles of Singapore: rebel and empire builder
- Reform and reaction in 16th century Europe
- Renaissance and beyond
- Roman Britain
- Rome and early church history
- Russia and Europe 1789-1855
- Russia: modernisation and revolution, 1855-1916
- Shakespeare's London
- Stars, astrologers and horoscopes: a guide to medieval astrology
- The age of discord and drama in late 16th century Europe
- The early church and its music
- The early history of Britain: 500-1000
- The early history of Scandinavia: the Vikings 500-1000
- The early history of Spain and Portugal: 500-1000
- The Elizabethan secret service
- The face of history
- The generals: war and politics in classical Greece part 1
- The generals: war and politics in classical Greece part 2
- The generals: war and politics in classical Greece part 3
- The history of early republican Rome
- The Jews and nationalism: blessing or curse
- The music of Madrid
- The music of the Renaissance
- The Nazi holocaust: history and meanings
- The role of animals in ancient Egyptian society
- The story of Andalucia
- The story of Berlin
- Understanding the Israel-Palestine conflict
- War and peace in medieval Japan
- Who killed Christopher Marlowe
- `Dream Palace’ and `Ideal Home’: mass entertainment 1919-50
- An introduction to literature: American classics
- An introduction to literature: drama
- An introduction to literature: poetry and prose
- AS level English literature
- Aspects of EM Forster
- Charting the century: stories by women writers
- City Lit evening reading group
- City Lit reading group
- Classic drama
- Classic short stories
- Contemporary poetry
- Desolation and the return of the light in Dante's inferno p1
- Desolation and the return of the light in Dante's inferno p2
- Desolation and the return of the light in Dante's inferno p3
- Desolation and the return of the light in Dante's inferno p4
- Desolation and the return of the light in Dante's inferno p5
- Drama in society
- Film of the book
- Gothic fantasy and uncanny fictions
- Introduction to poetry
- Literary landmarks
- Literature: women of substance
- Novels of the 19th century
- Poetry and feeling
- Poetry: Blake and Wordsworth
- Shakespeare in performance
- Shakespeare's All's Fair: what does love have to do with war
- Shakespeare's sonnets
- Shakespeare's women
- Sherlock Holmes and his creator
- T.S Eliot: the later poetry
- The 19th century novel
- The Canterbury Tales
- The plays of Harold Pinter
- The poet's voice
- Theatre of the mind
- Thomas Hardy and Wessex
- Two revenge plays: Hamlet and The Revenger's tragedy
- Visiting London theatre today
- Ways into literature: a themed approach
- Ways into literature: drama
- Ways into literature: poetry and prose
- World fictions
- A taste of journalism
- Broadcast journalism
- ESOL through journalism
- Freelance journalism stage 2
- Freelance writing for newspapers and magazines
- Get your message across
- How to market yourself as a freelance journalist
- How to write a press release
- Interviewing for journalism
- Introduction to freelance journalism
- Journalism: the basics
- Print journalism for absolute beginners: a taster
- Travel journalism workshop
- Travel writing workshop
- Writing reviews
- A taste of philosophy
- Chinese philosophy
- Existentialism: an introduction
- Feminist philosophy
- Hinduism: the fount of religions
- Introduction to ethics
- Philosophical life coaching
- Philosophy and psychoanalysis
- Philosophy and the ancient Greeks: Aristotle
- Philosophy and the ancient Greeks: Plato
- Political philosophy
- Theravadu and Mahayana Buddhism
- Thinking straight
- Ways into philosophy (great thinkers)
- Ways into philosophy (key themes)
Browse full range of courses
- Visual arts
- Art foundation and portfolio preparation courses
- Art history
- Bookbinding and conservation
- Calligraphy
- Ceramics
- Conservation
- Design
- Digital arts
- Drawing
- Drawing and painting from life
- Fashion
- Fibre arts: textiles and basketry
- Graphic design, DTP, illustration and cartooning
- Jewellery
- Mosaics
- Painting
- Photography
- Printmaking
- Sculpture
- View all in Visual arts
- Find out more about the Visual arts department
- Languages
- Drama, dance and speech
- Advanced acting courses
- Bi-media courses: TV, radio and sound
- Communication courses for speakers of other languages
- Courses for professional actors
- Dance and movement
- Follow-on drama courses
- Introductory drama courses
- Musical theatre diploma
- One and two-day courses
- One-week intensive course
- One-year advanced diploma
- One-year drama access course
- One-year drama foundation course
- Professional skills - technical
- Professional skills for actors
- Professional theatre company
- Sunday courses
- Voice, speech and communication
- View all in Drama, dance and speech
- Find out more about the Drama, dance and speech department
- Humanities
- Anthropology
- Business and economics
- Communications and study skills
- Creative writing
- English for speakers of other languages (level 2 and above)
- Film
- Folklore, myth and spiritual studies
- History and politics
- Latin America
- Literature
- London walks
- Media
- Philosophy
- Science and environment
- View all in Humanities
- Find out more about the Humanities department
- Music
- Health and movement studies
- Alexander technique
- Anatomy and physiology
- Complementary health studies
- Continuing professional development for therapists
- Energy, healing and meditation
- First aid
- Massage and bodywork: introductory level
- Massage and bodywork: professional practitioner level
- Movement classes
- Nutrition and food safety
- Self-defence
- Stress management
- Training for teachers
- Yoga
- Your progression routes to teaching
- View all in Health and movement studies
- Find out more about the Health and movement studies department
- Computing
- Psychology, counselling & personal development
- English, maths & ESOL
- Deaf education
- Careers in care work
- Access to higher education
- Progress - courses for people with learning difficulties
- Basic skills
- Computing
- Health
- Learning together
- Music, drama and dance
- People and places, past and present
- Projects
- Visual arts
- Working with people with learning difficulties
- View all in Progress - courses for people with learning difficulties
- Find out more about the Progress - courses for people with learning difficulties department
- Speech therapy
- Teacher & management training
Featured course
Ways into philosophy (great thinkers)
Why City Lit?
If you are looking for a great choice of inspiring courses; a bright, modern environment to learn in located in central London; the opportunity to have fun and meet like-minded people, we look forward to seeing you at City Lit!