Paulo Coelho, born in 1947 and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is a Brazilian novelist known for the rich symbolism and the spiritually motivated journeys of his characters. As a young man he rebelled against his family's expectations, was committed to a psychiatric institution more than once, and later led a turbulent, searching life that informed much of his writing.
He dropped out of law school in 1970 and traveled through South America, Mexico, North Africa, and Europe. Returning to Brazil, he worked as a songwriter, collaborating with the well-known singer Raul Seixas, and held jobs in the recording industry before turning fully to literature.
A turning point came when he walked the pilgrimage route of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, an experience that formed the basis of his first book, The Pilgrimage. The following year he published The Alchemist, the allegorical tale of a young shepherd's quest for treasure and meaning.
The Alchemist grew slowly into one of the best-selling books in history and one of the most translated works by any living author, carrying Coelho's themes of destiny, personal legend, and the listening heart to readers around the world.
His many other works, including The Valkyries, Eleven Minutes, Veronika Decides to Die, and The Zahir, have sold in the hundreds of millions across dozens of languages, making him one of the most widely read novelists of his time.
