Down and Out in Paris and London is George Orwell's semi-autobiographical account of living in poverty in both cities. The narrative begins in Paris, where Orwell lived for two years, attempting to subsist by giving English lessons and contributing reviews and articles to various periodicals. He ended up working as a plongeur (dishwasher and kitchen assistant) at a hotel/restaurant, where he earned barely enough to survive. Next, Orwell moved to London, where, along with writing and tutoring, he worked as a bookshop assistant, an experience which would inspire his later novel Keep the Aspidistra Flying.