Alain de Botton is an acclaimed writer and philosopher whose books encompass subjects as diverse as love, travel, and Marcel Proust. His talk takes a fresh look at the ideas and stereotypes associated with Bohemia.04.03.2004 Alain de Botton is an acclaimed writer and philosopher whose books encompass subjects as diverse as love, travel, and Marcel Proust. His talk takes a fresh look at the ideas and stereotypes associated with Bohemia. First coined in the 1840s, the term Bohemia was originally synonymous with the flouting of social conventions and with the rejection of bourgeois materialism and conformity. De Botton examines the lessons that a Bohemian way of life can provide today, and he attempts to re-endow a word, which has become increasingly devalued and clichéd, with an element of seriousness and dignity. This talk coincides with the publication of his book Status Anxiety.