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: Crime through Time

For the last century, crime fiction has been the most popular and lucrative of literary subgenres. But this commercial success belies a formal inventiveness and experiment, a constant drive to ‘make it new’, which has long been central to the genre. In this course we will read six crime novels (and three short stories) which chart the development of crime fiction. As well as considering each of these novels in isolation from week to week, we will also use the eight week course to ask ourselves: how has crime fiction changed through the years, and how has it remained the same? No previous knowledge of crime fiction is necessary – everybody is most welcome!

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 17/09/2025 -
Wed 12/11/2025
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
9 sessions
Location:
Emmanuel Church Aylsham (Aylsham)
Cawston Road
Aylsham
NR11 6BX
Tutor:
Joseph Williams
Course code:
Q00023210
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £128.00

Literature: A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov

In A Hero of our Time, his only novel, Lermontov explores a life quite parallel to his own, lived in the wild, still untamed Caucasus mountains. Grigory Pechorin, the ironically-designated hero, becomes progressively disillusioned with the society that courts him, with the love of women, and with military glory. Pechorin becomes the Outsider, destined to live by nothing more than the contradictory truths of his own feelings and the dooms these create. The novel quickly outlived its early notoriety to become one of the greatest of all Russian texts, matching Pushkin and Turgenev in the exploration of the "superfluous man" who finds no meaningful connection to the world around him.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 23/09/2025 -
Tue 21/10/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
URC (Danbury)
Little Baddow Road
Danbury
CM3 4NS
Tutor:
Adrian Eckersley
Course code:
Q00022296
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £80.00

Literature: Ovid's Metamorphoses

The Roman Poet Ovid was unconventional. In an age when poets were expected to write about great deeds, he wrote instead about love affairs, and shocked his world. When he did write an epic there was still no heroism: instead he brought to life the myths of his Graeco-Roman world, by focusing on the central theme of transformation. No book from the ancient world has had as much influence on the art of the West as Ovid. From the middle ages, climaxing in the renaissance, and continuing into our own time, Ovid's Metamorphoses have furnished a glory of subject matter for artists.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 24/09/2025 -
Wed 22/10/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
The Priory (Ware)
High Street
Ware
SG12 9AL
Tutor:
Adrian Eckersley
Course code:
Q00022328
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £80.00

Literature: The Ghost Stories of M. R. James

Human beings have told each other stories about ghosts since the ancient times, but the ghost story as we know it was created by the writer and scholar M. R. James (1862-1936). At Christmas, James would read his stories aloud to friends and colleagues at the University of Cambridge. The BBC began adapting James’s stories in 1971 as part of their ’Ghost Story for Christmas’ series. In this course we will look at seven of James’s most famous and enjoyed stories, a number of which were adapted by the BBC. We will consider each story on its own, looking at James’s use of suspense and humour. How does James write a ghost story? Are they scary? And, most of all, what are we scared of? No previous knowledge of ghost stories is necessary – everybody is most welcome!

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 02/10/2025 -
Thu 20/11/2025
Times:
6:00pm - 8:30pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Joseph Williams
Course code:
Q00023278
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £160.00

WEA Membership

WEA membership is changing: more information is coming soon!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
£15

Literature: History of the English Language

If you’re interested in finding out how the English language developed (and why we don’t all speak German, Danish or French instead of English) this course is for you. We look at the development of the English language through seven different lenses, starting with Old English (Anglo-Saxon) which built on Celtic languages and Latin. We explore the many influences on English including the Vikings through Old Norse, Norman French, Biblical English, Shakespearean English and Global English.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 09/10/2025 -
Thu 27/11/2025
Times:
10:30am - 12:30pm
Duration:
7 sessions
Location:
Hockliffe Street Baptist Church
33 Hockliffe Street
Leighton Buzzard
LU7 1EZ
Tutor:
Rebecca Eliahoo Charles
Course code:
Q00022298
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £128.00

Literature: Dirty Realism: the Short Stories of Raymond Carver and Richard Ford

Guest tutor Paul Marshall will provide an introduction to ‘Dirty Realism’ a term coined by Bill Buford, editor of Granta magazine, to define a North American literary movement prevalent during the 1980s. We will study the work of Richard Ford and Paul Carver, two prominent writers associated with this haunting, pared down style of writing

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 04/11/2025 -
Tue 02/12/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
URC (Danbury)
Little Baddow Road
Danbury
CM3 4NS
Tutor:
Guest Speaker
Course code:
Q00022297
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £48.00