BIOGRAPHY
Paulo Coelho is not only one of the most widely read, but also one of the most influential authors writing today, "wrote the Bambi Awards in Germany. "His books have had a life-enhancing impact on millions of people"wrote The Times in the UK.
To date a sum of 277 translations in 56 languages have been made. Nearly 51 million copies have been published and sold in 150 countries.
Paulo Coelho has led an extremely interesting life. Rebelliousness defined his youth. He was a hippie. He wrote popular lyrics for some of Brazil's most famous pop music stars, including Elis Regina and Raul Seixas. Shortly after, he worked as a journalist.
In 1986 Paulo Coelho walked the Road to Santiago, a medieval pilgrim's route between France and Spain. He later described this experience in ‘The Pilgrimage’, published in 1987. The following year, his second book ‘The Alchemist’ established his worldwide fame. The book has established itself as a modern classic, universally admired. Considered a timeless story, it will enchant and inspire countless generations of new readers.
Other titles include ‘Brida’ (1990), ‘The Valkyries’ (1992), ‘Maktub’ (1994) - a compilation of his daily columns, ‘By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept’ (1994), ‘The Fifth Mountain’ (1996), ‘The Manual of the Warrior of Light’ (1997), ‘Veronika Decides to Die’ (1998) and ‘The Devil and Miss Prym’ (2000).
His most recent novel is ‘Eleven Minutes’ published in Brazil on the second of April 2003. This is his first novel after being appointed a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.
For 10 years Paulo Coelho's different titles have made the top ten on the bestseller lists around the world. He was named the second best-selling author worldwide by the French magazine "Lire"(March 1999). Paulo Coelho is a recipient of numerous prestigious international awards. The critics have especially praised his poetic, realistic and philosophical style, as well as his symbolic language which speaks to our hearts rather than our intellects. In addition to the books, he writes a weekly journalistic column, syndicated throughout the world to several notable organizations. Occasionally, he also writes articles related to current events.
Various theatre companies and film producers have seen the great dramatic and poetic potential of his work. Paulo Coelho has also appeared in documentaries about his life and aspects of Brazilian culture. Paulo Coelho is the founder of the Paulo Coelho Institute, which provides support and opportunities for underprivileged members of the Brazilian society, especially children and the elderly. He was appointed special advisor to the UNESCO program "Spiritual Convergences and Intercultural Dialogues". The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship also selected him as a board member. Paulo was the first non-Muslim author to be invited to an exchange of ideas in Iran since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
On the 25 th of July 2002, Paulo Coelho became a member of the prestigious Brazilian Academy of Letters (ABL). The academy was founded 105 years ago. The 40-member body makes the rules on how Portuguese is to be spelled and spoken.
Paulo Coelho is a member of the following institutions:
-
Member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters "Literature"
-
Member of the Board of The Shimon Peres Intitute for Peace
-
Member of the board of Directors of Schwab Foundation
-
Member of the Board of Directors of The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
