Where were the great works of literature written?

Writing is a profession that famously appeals to people with a predilection for mind-altering substances. But we tend to assume that when it comes time to do the writing itself, most authors put their drugs aside for a while so they can get the work done. read more

His most famous work, the novel Candide, was written over five months and powered by so much caffeine that an overnight trucker would scream in horror at what the man was pouring into his body. It's reported that during the writing of Candide, Voltaire would average somewhere between 50-70 cups of coffee a day. read more

Now I’m not saying that all the greatest works of literature were written here, or even that all the works of the above authors were written here, as they weren’t. But Paris was known as a hub for literature and poetry and it’s where many great works and authors began to hit their stride. read more