Courses
Literature and Writing Courses
Develop your understanding of literature and the power of writing.
Engage with literature, storytelling, and written expression across different forms and styles. Strengthen your ability to analyse texts, develop ideas, and communicate effectively through writing.
The Shahnameh: Persia's Great Epic
The Shahnameh: Persia's Great Epic
<p>The Shahnameh is one of the great epics of world literature, yet it remains far less known in the English-speaking world than it deserves. Written to celebrate and preserve Persian culture at a
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Cutting to the Chase: Beauvoir in Five Easy Pieces
Cutting to the Chase: Beauvoir in Five Easy Pieces
<p>Simone de Beauvoir wrote on an immense scale, so this two-hour talk-seminar offers a focused way in. Through five accessible themes, you’ll explore key ideas from her life and work without getting
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Italian Classics: Boccaccio, Basile and Straparola
Italian Classics: Boccaccio, Basile and Straparola
<p>Boccaccio, Basile and Straparola created some of the most influential works in Italian literary history. This course explores The Decameron, The Tale of Tales and Pleasant Nights, showing how these
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The Secret Sex Lives of Older Women
The Secret Sex Lives of Older Women
<p>A warm, insightful, and often humorous exploration of how women from the “Beatles generation” have experienced love, intimacy, and identity across their lives.</p>
<p>Drawing on personal experience
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Fiction Hit: Creating Compelling Characters
Fiction Hit: Creating Compelling Characters
<p>Memorable characters are at the heart of compelling fiction. This focused writing workshop explores how writers create believable, complex characters through motivation, backstory, voice and choice
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King Arthur: Origins and Interpretation
King Arthur: Origins and Interpretation
<p>This short course explores the sophistication of medieval storytelling through close reading and discussion of early King Arthur legends in translation. It traces the deeper ancestry of the
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World War One: The Psychologists, Artists and Writers Who Changed Our World
World War One: The Psychologists, Artists and Writers Who Changed Our World
<p>The First World War changed far more than the political map of Europe. It reshaped psychology, medicine, literature and the arts. Beginning with Pat Barker's acclaimed novel Regeneration, this
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The Decade the World Changed: Paris, War and the Birth of Impressionism
The Decade the World Changed: Paris, War and the Birth of Impressionism
<p>The 1870s marked one of the great turning points in art history. Against the backdrop of war, political upheaval and rapid technological change, a new generation of artists challenged traditional
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Writing for All-Comers: A Practical Workshop (Including AI Tools)
Writing for All-Comers: A Practical Workshop (Including AI Tools)
<p>Writing is a practical skill that anyone can develop. Whether you want to write clearer emails, begin a memoir, explore creative writing or simply enjoy expressing yourself, this supportive
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Agatha Christie, Queen of Crime: The Story Behind the Legend
Agatha Christie, Queen of Crime: The Story Behind the Legend
<p>Go beyond the bestseller reputation to discover Agatha Christie as a writer, traveller and fascinating public figure. This course explores her life, loves, challenges and working methods, offering
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