INTRODUCTION
- Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author and lyricist.
- He is one of the most influential authors of this modern age.
- He is most famous for his novel “The Alchemist” which has been translated into 80 languages.
- “The Alchemist” is the Guinness World Record holder for the most translated book by a living author.
- He was named as one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2009.
- He has also served as a United Nations Messenger of Peace since 2007.
A WALK THROUGH HIS LIFE
- He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in a Catholic family on August 24, 1947.
- His Father’s name is Pedro Queima de Coelho de Souza and his Mother’s name is Lygia Coelho who were both engineers.
- He studied law at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro but dropped out to follow his dream of becoming a writer.
- His parents were very strict and he disobeyed against them as a teenager.
- He was sent to a mental institution several times as his parents believed his attacking behavior was a sign of mental illness.
- He escaped and traveled through South America, North Africa and Europe which was his inspiration for many of his later novels.
- He began writing at age nine and by 17 had completed his first novel which was not published.
- In 1974, He published his first book “Hell Archives”. It was a collection of short stories and poems
- He was forced to self-publish it as the book was rejected by several publishers.
- After the book was released,He started working as a songwriter for Brazilian pop stars.
- In 1988, He published his first novel, The Alchemist while he was in prison for political activities.
- The novel tells the story of a young shepherd from Andalusia who starts on a journey to find his destiny.
- It was an immediate success with over 1 million copies sold in Brazil alone and over 65 million copies world wide.
- The Alchimest made him one of the best-selling authors of all time.
- He published many more books including Brida, The Pilgrimage, The Valkyries.
- He also writes non-fiction including The Manual of the Warrior of Light and Aleph.
- He has also written several children’s books including The Witch of Portobello, The Winner Stands Alone, and Adultery.
- He is a devoted Catholic and his works often have spiritual themes.
- He has also been an advocate for human rights and environmental issues.
- In 2007, He founded the Paulo Coelho Institute which is a non-profit organization dedicated to promote peace, tolerance and understanding among people.
- He is also a generous person donating to charities and developments around the world.
- He has won numerous awards including the Crystal Award by the World Economic Forum and the French Legion of Honor.
- He also received Guinness World Record for most translated author in 2008.
- His works have been praised by world leaders including Dalai Lama, Pope Francis and Barack Obama.
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