Paulo Coelho holds the distinction of being the most translated living author. His book, The Alchemist, ranks among the best selling books of all-time. He is a writer whose spiritual awakening and growth is central to his work and his being.
Paulo Coelho was born into a Roman Catholic family in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. He attended a Jesuit school, but even as a teenager Coelho yearned to write and tended to rebel from his parents’ wish that he become a lawyer. This rift was fueled by the fear that their son’s writing may lead to dire consequences if he were to criticize the military government in power at the time.
His parents committed Paulo to a mental asylum on multiple occasions. He was able to escape, only to be returned. Released after spending three years in the institution, he did try to fulfill his parents’ hopes and attended law school, but only for one year.
He sought the world beyond the walls surrounding him by traveling in South and Central America, and Europe. He adopted a “hippie” lifestyle that included much indulgence in drugs.
After returning to Brazil, Coelho became a well-recognized lyricist for several popular musicians, including the controversial Raul Seixas. Some of the songs, and Seixas himself, were considered to center on the occult, even to the point of being branded “Satanic.” Coelho then was arrested by government and was subjected to physical torture.
Coelho left the music world behind and worked as a journalist, actor, and theatrical director. Throughout all, he was called to be a writer. He had a novel published in 1982, but it was not well received.
It was his walking the 500-mile path of Spain’s Santiago de Compostela that brought Paulo to a spiritual realization and a creative rebirth. This road, a pilgrimage for Catholics and others seeking spiritual awareness, inspired him to write The Pilgrimage.
Coelho subsequently wrote The Alchemist, which became his most popular book. This work follows a shepherd boy who dreams of finding a treasure and finds something worth much more.
Paulo Coelho has been given the “Crystal Award” by the World Economic Forum, made a United Nations “Messenger of Peace,” and honored by nations from France to his native Brazil.