(This article serves as a continuation of our previous blog post on notable literary cafes in Paris.)

The concept of literary accolades in France dates back to the Renaissance period, when numerous poetry contests and improvised verbal jousts took place. These ancient activities gave tempo to the literary and artistic life of its time and eventually became predecessors to the contemporary literary awards we know today.

The evolution of these activities into awards occurred at the turning point of the XIXth and XXth centuries with the creation of “commemoration” awards, such as the prizes of the…

Well-named the “City of Light” or the “Capital of Art,” Paris is an animated, noisy and  uncompromising town. When we think about this tremendous city, several images come to mind: a romantic Paris, an artistic Paris, a literary Paris.

The best representations of a literary Paris are several famed cafés that have been frequented for decades by many celebrated writers and artists in order to gather, engage in discourse, share ideas and gain inspiration.

Just as Wallace fountains or Guimard aedicules help to define the Paris we know and love, Morris columns also form an integral part of this great city’s emblematic and unique urban landscape.

These columns originate from Berlin, where flyposting was at one time known to pose a problem. It was in 1845 that…