Explore literature through the ages.

We've hand-picked a variety of English literature courses for you to choose from. Whether you are interested in twenty-first-century literature and culture, the tales of Babylon, or historical topics such as race and gender, we have a broad selection of literature that’s sure to suit a wide variety of tastes and interests.  

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You might be a newcomer to the world of literature and the great works of authors past and present, or perhaps you consider yourself somewhat of an expert. Whichever group you fall into, our friendly classes are the perfect environment to develop your skills and knowledge. Building on a curiosity or passion is what we do best! 

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Whether you prefer online learning from the comfort of your own home, or you want to attend an in-person class in your local community, we have a huge amount of flexibility to suit how you learn best. This means that you can pick the environment that’s right for you, giving you that piece of mind that you can learn in a place that you feel comfortable with. 

The support you’ll receive 

Our dedicated tutors will guide you through the different genres and time periods in English literature, helping you to develop your critical reading and analysis skills - perfect if you're a beginner.   

Our learning experience is one of the things that sets us apart, with many of our learners going on to achieve incredible things. You’ll learn at a pace that’s comfortable for you, with a friendly supportive tutor on hand to answer any questions you might have.  

Start your journey today and learn all about the works of Agatha Christie, Shakespeare and many, many more.  

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Literature: 1st of November National Authors Day 2024

Exploring National Authors Day 2024: A Short Interactive Session In honour of National Authors Day on November 1st, 2024, this 2-hour interactive session offers participants a vibrant exploration of literature and authors. The session begins with an introduction to the history and significance of National Authors Day, emphasising its role in celebrating the achievements and impact of writers across cultures and genres. Participants will engage in interactive discussions and activities designed to showcase the diversity of literary works and authors. Through guided exploration of notable authors and their contributions, attendees will discover new perspectives and genres, fostering a deeper appreciation for the art of storytelling. The session will include opportunities for creative expression, such as writing prompts, collaborative storytelling exercises, or exploring excerpts from celebrated literary works. Participants will be encouraged to share their favourite books, authors, and literary influences, contributing to a dynamic exchange of ideas and recommendations. Throughout the session, facilitators will highlight the importance of supporting authors and literature, discussing ways to promote reading culture and literacy in communities. Interactive elements will encourage participants to actively participate and engage with the themes of creativity, imagination, and cultural diversity in literature. By the end of the session, participants will have gained insights into the global impact of authors and their works, inspired to continue exploring and celebrating literature beyond National Authors Day. This interactive session aims to ignite a passion for reading, storytelling, and the written word, fostering a community of enthusiastic readers and supporters of literary arts.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 01/11/2024 -
Fri 01/11/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
George Cromack
Course code:
Q00018221
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £7.40

Literature: Dickens and the struggles of life

For Charles Dickens, writing and worrying went hand in hand. His books were knitted together out of his own anxieties and struggles. And yet, despite the weight of all these worries, his novels are never depressing. To read Dickens is to glimpse the possibilities of new life. We all probably intend to read Dickens ‘one day.’ We all know his characters from various films and TV adaptations, so perhaps the time has finally come to get stuck into a major work. On this eight-week course we will read ‘Little Dorrit.’ We will also study some of Dickens's essays, short stories, and letters. You may already be a Dickens enthusiast, or a complete newcomer to his work. Either way, I hope that you will join us to explore a writer whose books still have the power to move and enlighten us today.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 04/11/2024 -
Mon 16/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Krowji (Redruth)
West Park
Redruth
TR15 3AJ
Tutor:
Mark Crees
Course code:
Q00013086
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £58.80

Literature: Chinese Avant Garde Literature

This course examines a variety of avant-garde short stories by modern and contemporary Chinese writers. Each session will be spent producing a close analysis of individual stories and excerpts from longer fiction, debating different interpretations and understandings of the set texts,

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 05/11/2024 -
Tue 19/11/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
URC (Danbury)
Little Baddow Road
Danbury
CM3 4NS
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00018513
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20

Literature: Edward Thomas - Hampshire Poet

Come and join this six-week online course. The course offers the opportunity to study a selection of Edward Thomas’s poetry and the contexts that shaped him and his life. Through reading, analysis and discussion we will explore the poems of Edward Thomas as a Hampshire Poet. We will evaluate Thomas’s position as an important poet of the early 20th century.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 06/11/2024 -
Wed 04/12/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Victoria Ramsay
Course code:
Q00017157
How you'll learn:
Online
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £42.00

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Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Literature: The American Short Story

The postwar period saw a major change in the significance of the short story in the USA and Canada, as it developed into a form for more serious explorations of character and psychology. Each week we will look at two stories by a major North American writer and discuss how they use such techniques as narration, subtext, and imagery to portray complex, layered characters. Featured writers include Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, John Updike, Mavis Gallant, Shirley Jackson, and Elizabeth Strout. In the final two weeks we will look at stories about Christmas in particular.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 18/11/2024 -
Mon 09/12/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
4 sessions
Location:
Jubilee Hall Loddon (Loddon)
George Lane
Loddon
NR14 6NB
Tutor:
Joseph Williams
Course code:
Q00019239
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.60

Literature: Children’s Fantasy Novels

Interested in children's fantasy novels? This day school delves into classics like J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, Ursula K. LeGuin's A Wizard of Earthsea, and J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan. No need to read the entire novels; we'll focus on specific chapters. Explore the literary significance and themes of these works, and discuss their lasting legacy. Resources will be available on Canvas for pre- and post-session reflection. The day combines tutor presentations with group discussions, connecting the novels to broader cultural contexts and examining how fiction relates to the real world.

Course Information

Dates:
Sat 23/11/2024 -
Sat 23/11/2024
Times:
10:30am - 4:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Norwich Millennium Library (Norwich)
Millennium Library
The Forum, Millennium Plain
Norwich
NR2 1AW
Tutor:
James Clarke
Course code:
Q00017990
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £25.20

Literature: Victorian Literature Through the Decades - The 1840s

During this course we will consider a wide range of novels that were pubished in the 1840s as a continuation of an exploration of literature published through the decades of Victoria’s long reign. We will consider a range of novels by both male and female writers: Barnaby Rudge (Charles Dickens 1841); The Luck of Barry Lyndon (W M Thackeray, 1844); Sybil (Benjamin Disraeli, 1845); Agnes Grey (Anne Bronté, 1847); Shirley (Charlotte Bronté, 1849). The 1840s were a prosperous time for many but but this decade was also known as the Hungry Forties. The 1840s also saw the growth of the realist novel.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 07/01/2025 -
Tue 01/04/2025
Times:
2:30pm - 4:30pm
Duration:
13 sessions
Location:
Exeter Community Centre (Exeter)
17 St. Davids Hill
Exeter
EX4 3RG
Tutor:
Greta Depledge
Course code:
Q00016886
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £100.80

British Novels in the 70s and 80s (Part 2)

This course will consider and analyse the following authors and their texts. These are: Strange Meeting - Susan Hill. So Long Hector Bebb - Ron Berry. Flaubert’s Parrot - Julian Barnes. The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro. Innocence - Penelope Fitzgerald. These texts will provide a window into the different regions of Britain during two decades of major change in the social fabric and political nature of Britain, though several of our texts will trace these changes back to the earlier part of the twentieth century, and in doing so, we will encounter themes of identity, class and the decline of Empire. There will be much to prompt discussion and challenge our assumptions.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 08/01/2025 -
Wed 19/03/2025
Times:
2:15pm - 4:15pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Rose House (London)
70 Barnes High Street
London
SW13 9LD
Tutor:
Stephen Smith
Course code:
Q00017376
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £100.00

Literature: The Fables of Robert Louis Stevenson

The course presents all twenty-two “fables” of Robert Louis Stevenson, some as short as a few lines, others running to several pages, all of them challenging the reader with unexpected approaches to human life. We will read all the fables in six weeks, coming together on Zoom to share responses and questions, examine the literary merits and explore the ways the fables might enhance our understanding of ourselves and others we come into contact with day by day. There are podcasts for each fable to supplement our discussions, as well as space on the Canvas site to continue the Zoom discussions.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 08/01/2025 -
Wed 12/02/2025
Times:
1:00pm - 2:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Robert-Louis Abrahamson
Course code:
Q00019254
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.00

British Literature 1980 - 2011 (Part 2)

Part 2 of this course builds on our first ten weeks before Christmas, but as each text is studied individually, it is possible to pursue Part 2 separately. We will explore the following texts: On Chesil Beach - Ian McEwan. Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell (2004) Day - A.L. Kennedy. Affinity - Sarah Waters. The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes. There will be a wealth of opportunity for discussion of these texts and their themes, which will involve memory, how narratives are structured and gender issues. The texts will also introduce concepts relating to how one reads texts closely and aligns these texts with modern literary movements.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 09/01/2025 -
Thu 20/03/2025
Times:
2:15pm - 4:15pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Friends Meeting House (Sutton)
10 Cedar Road
Sutton
SM2 5DA
Tutor:
Stephen Smith
Course code:
Q00017594
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £100.00