PAULO COELHO

Paulo Coelho de Souza (born August 24, 1947) is a Brazilian novelist, lyricist, and one of the most widely read authors in the world, best known for his international bestseller The Alchemist. Born in Rio de Janeiro and educated at a Jesuit school, Coelho showed early ambitions of becoming a writer, ambitions his parents discouraged. At seventeen, fearing for his future, they had him committed to a mental institution, from which he escaped several times before being released at twenty.

Following their wishes, he briefly enrolled in law school but soon abandoned it to travel as a hippie through South America, North Africa, Mexico, and Europe during the 1960s, embracing the countercultural movement and experimenting with drugs. Returning to Brazil, he pursued a career in music, writing lyrics for some of the country’s most iconic artists, including Raul Seixas, with whom he co-created songs that stirred both acclaim and controversy for their occult and esoteric themes. His success drew unwanted attention from Brazil’s military regime, and in 1974 he was arrested and tortured for alleged subversive activities.

In the years that followed, Coelho worked as a journalist, actor, and theater director before dedicating himself to writing. A turning point came in 1986, when he undertook the 500-mile pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The journey sparked a profound spiritual awakening, which he later described in The Pilgrimage. Inspired, he committed himself fully to literature.

His second novel, The Alchemist (1988), brought him worldwide fame. Translated into dozens of languages and selling millions of copies, it became a modern classic, weaving allegory and parable around the pursuit of one’s dreams. The novel cemented Coelho’s reputation as a storyteller of spiritual quests and personal transformation. He went on to publish numerous works, including Brida, Veronika Decides to Die, and The Valkyries, all exploring themes of destiny, love, faith, and self-discovery.

Coelho married artist Christina Oiticica in 1980. Today they reside in Geneva, Switzerland, after years dividing their time between Brazil and the Pyrenees. In 2014, he launched the Paulo Coelho Foundation online, making his personal archives freely available to readers.

Though critics have sometimes dismissed his prose as simplistic or mystical, Coelho’s influence is undeniable. His work has inspired millions across cultures, blending spirituality with storytelling in a way that continues to resonate deeply with readers worldwide.