Paulo coelho

Paulo Coelho

Author of the Alchemist

Early Life

• Born in Brazil August 24th, 1947• Speaks and writes in Portuguese• Wanted to be a writer when he became a

teenager (16)• Was introverted and spent a lot of time alone.• His parents did not understand him and put

him in a mental institution. He escaped three times before he was released at 20.

Young Adult

• Entered law school to please his parents, but dropped out after one year.

• Traveled through Europe, North Africa, Mexico, and South America

• Took lots of drugs (it was the 1960’s “hippie era)

• Worked as a song writer and built a good career, but was not happy.

Adult

• Arrested by the Brazilian government who thought his work was dangerous.

• Walked the 500-plus mile Road of Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain where he had a “spiritual awakening.”

• He is now a practicing Catholic and feels that he is fulfilling his personal dream.

• He is now the all-time bestselling Portuguese author.

Written Works• The Manifest of Krig-há• Theater For Education• Hell Archives• Practical Manual of Vampirism• The Pilgrimage• The Alchemist• Brida• The Greatest Gift• The Valkyries• Maktub• By the River Piedra I Sat Down and

Wept• The Fifth Mountain• The Witch of Portobello• Life: Selected Quotations

• Love Letters from a Prophet• Manual of the Warrior of Light• Veronika Decides to Die• Essential Words• The Devil and Miss Prym• Fathers, Sons and Grandsons• Eleven Minutes• And on the Seventh Day• The Genie and the Roses • Journeys• The Zahir• Revived Paths• Like the Flowing River• The Winner Stands AloneAleph • Manuscript Found in Accra