Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian international best-selling author. He has carved a niche for himself in the drama and romance genres. In 2009, the author set a Guinness World Record for having the most translated books by a living author. His books are widely loved and many consider him a master.
Wiki/Biography
Paulo Coelho de Souza is a famous and widely quoted Brazilian lyric poet and novelist. Born in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, August 24, 1947 (74 years; as of 2021). He grew up in Rio de Janeiro and attended Jesuit schools.
Paulo Coelho’s childhood
He also worked as an actor, director, lyricist and composer before becoming an international bestseller. His works are often criticized for not meeting the requirements of excellent literature, but this does not seem to affect his fame. He has already become a famous actor with widely loved works such as “The Alchemist”, “Eleven Minutes”, and “Zahir”. He opened up a world for himself.
appearance
Height (approximately): cm – 173 cm (m)
Hair color: white
family
Paulo Coelho was born into a staunchly Catholic family.
Parents and siblings
His father, Pedro Kema de Coelho de Sousa, and mother, Ligia Coelho, were both traditional Catholics. His father is an engineer and his mother is a housewife. He has a sister named Sonia Coelho, who is also a writer.
Paulo Coelho and sister Sonia Coelho
wife and children
Paulo Coelho is currently married to Brazilian artist Christina Oiticica: the Brazilian artist is known for his exotic neo-Concrete techniques, which allow natural elements to act on her works. Paulo Coelho has been married three times before. However, the couple have no children and the former has a niece who works as their assistant.
Paulo Coelho and his first wife
Paulo Coelho and his second wife
Paulo Coelho and his third wife
Paulo Coelho and wife Cristina Otica
religious outlook
Although he opposed Catholicism in the first years of his life, he later returned to it after becoming an atheist.
superstitious
Paulo Coelho was quite superstitious and it is believed that he did not start writing his book until he found a white feather. When he typed out the first draft, he dusted every page with feathers. He believed in omens and had a firm belief in the power of the universe and destiny.
early life
The author’s early life was quite eventful. When he expressed his desire to become a writer, his parents were worried. His father could not understand his desire to become a writer. He was born into a devout Catholic family, and his constant opposition to the religious path also worried his parents, so his father sent him to a mental hospital at the age of 17. He escaped three times until he was finally released from the mental hospital. . At 20, he followed his parents’ wishes and pursued law, but he later dropped out to travel like a hippie. While living a nomadic life, he began taking drugs in 1960. He was an actor, journalist, theater director and lyricist before becoming the famous author we know today. While working with Raul Seixas, he became associated with cults due to the lyrics of certain songs. Some of his songs were considered left-wing and dangerous by the then-junta. His first book, Pilgrimage, was not a success, but his second book, The Alchemist, brought him fame, selling around a million copies. Although the book sold only 900 copies when it was first published, the publisher decided not to reprint it. Such was the author’s unwavering belief in his novel that he found another publisher to publish it about two years later, and the book became a bestseller. He is married to artist Christina Otica. This is Coelho’s fourth marriage. The couple previously lived in Rio de Janeiro, then in a country house in the French Pyrenees and now in Switzerland. He founded the Paulo Coelho Foundation to support children.
Profession
The author has written at least 19 books so far. He writes a book almost every two years. He considers his work to be a cross between Carlos Castaneda and Khalil Gibran. Maestri, a history professor at the University of Passo Fundo, calls Paul’s work a yuppie esoteric narrative. He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Literature. Most of his books evoke the belief in destiny, various themes of love and the origins of faith. Coelho is regarded as a spiritual writer who uses rich symbolism in his novels, which mainly revolve around the spiritual journey of his characters. Some books are considered to be his own life journey and are often seen as reflections of the same journey. He wrote his first book, Pilgrimage, after completing a pilgrimage from France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The author’s second book was a breakthrough in his writing career. Because he felt that this book was destined to be written by him. This book inspires people to spend their lives pursuing their personal dreams. This book has been widely praised for its spiritual guide to life. According to a 2016 survey conducted by a British company called Richtopia, Paulo Coelho was ranked as the second most influential person. His works have been published in more than 170 countries and translated into 81 languages.
writing style
Paulo Coelho’s book reaffirms the belief in the existence of a supreme power. Another hallmark of Coelho’s writing is magical realism: a genre that combines realistic narrative and naturalistic techniques with the surreal elements of dreams or fantasy. Most of his works have a common theme: love, the essential victory of justice over evil, that is, foreshadowing. The development of a character’s journey often helps them discover and rediscover themselves.
The Alchemist: Paulo Coelho’s Breakthrough Book
“Remember, wherever your heart is, you will find your treasure there.” – Paulo Coelho 
The Alchemist, as it is commonly known, happens to be a life-changing story. People from pop stars; actors such as Madonna, Will Smith and famed talk show host Oprah Winfrey have all claimed that The Alchemist changed their lives. Paul discussed his writing philosophy in an interview with Oprah, saying that you can only learn by making mistakes and paying attention.
This book is a milestone in Coelho’s writing career. The underlying theme of this breakthrough novel is that everyone has a personal legend or personal destiny, and it is up to them to follow it or not to follow it. Hollywood actor and producer Laurence Fishburne is turning the book into a feature film. The book won the author many awards, such as the 1995 Nielsen Gold Medal for Bestsellers, the Elle Literary Award in France and the UK, and the 2002 Colin International Novel Award in Germany.
dispute
Promote cult
He was accused of cultism due to the lyrics of some of the songs he wrote for Raul Seixas. It is believed that the lyrics in the song written by Paulo Coelho and Raúl allude to the cult.
Rip lyrics
Paulo Coelho was also accused of plagiarizing lyrics from unpopular Brazilian songs.
Imprisoned and tortured.
In 1974, he was also imprisoned for allegedly engaging in subversive activities against the Brazilian government. The military junta viewed his songs as left-wing. Immediately after his release, he was kidnapped by paramilitaries who accused him of being a guerrilla fighter. According to Coelho, they held him for a week and tortured him by giving him electric shocks to his genitals.
The controversial ABL admissions
The Brazilian Academy of Literature (ABL) allegedly recognized Coelho in 2002 because he had no children and the majority of his wealth would be left to the institution upon his death. The author has been transparent and open to any speculation regarding his admission to the institution.
not giving due credit
The biography of the author attracted the attention of many when his second book, “A Practical Manual of Vampires”, was written by his old friend and collaborator Toninho Buda, who had never been interested in the original publication in 1985. Coelho later pulled the book from his shelves, saying it was of poor quality. The author is also accused of stealing a quote that jeweler Laura Byrne claims to have written and shared on social media in January 2014. This quote was posted by the author in September 2014, with her tag TM removed. She accused him of blocking opportunities for her and her jewelry brand.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- Paulo Coelho happens to be the first Andersen Prize winner in 2010.
- He is a member of the Brazilian Academy of Literature.
- He won the 2006 Croatian Kiklop Popular Literary Award for his book “The ZAHIR”.
- In 2004 he received the Serbian Elibris Prize for his book Eleven Minutes.
- In 2002, the book “The Alchemist” won the German Colin Award for Best Novel.
- In 1999, he won the World Economic Forum Crystal Award.
- He is UNESCO’s Special Advisor for Intercultural Dialogue and Spiritual Integration.
- In 2008, he served as EU Ambassador for Intercultural Dialogue.
- He also works with forums actively working for peace in Iran and Iraq.
Favorites
- Revolutionary: Che Guevara
- Philosopher: Friedrich Engels
Facts/Trivia
- Paulo Coelho loved India and this was reflected in his work. He was an admirer of Rabindranath Tagore and quoted the late literary genius in his book Hippie. In his book Paul quotes a poem from the Gitanjali saying:
Poetry is another way of looking at the world. People don’t pay enough attention to poetry these days. By quoting Tagore at the beginning of the book, I wanted to draw renewed attention to his work. “
- Paulo Coelho is often seen admiring Bollywood movies and Bollywood actors.
A star is connected to other stars in the sky.Thank you for everything Irrfan Khan
“Death is certain for those who are born, just as birth is certain for those who are dead. Therefore, do not grieve for the inevitable.” – Bhagavad Gita pic.twitter.com/WKaOlgf4bi
— Paulo Coelho (@paulocoelho) April 30, 2020
- Paulo Coelho often jokingly calls himself a magician and claims to belong to an ancient tradition; RAM, which he mentioned in his novel “Pilgrimage”. He stated in an interview that he learned many RAM exercises from a tour guide named Petrus.
- Paul will write a book with late legend Kobe Bryant. After the player’s death, Paul deleted drafts of the book.
- He has reportedly signed on to star in a TV show based on characters from his novels The Devil and Miss Prime, The Witches of Portobello and Brida.
- A suite at the Ambasciatori Hotel in Rome is named after the author, and a hot chocolate drink at Le Bristol Hotel in Paris is named after him as a mark of respect. It is pronounced Co-El-you.
- The Alchemist is the only book to date that has been translated into the most languages at once by its author.
- The author leads a simple life and, contrary to popular belief, lives in a castle surrounded by bodyguards.
- The author believes that word-of-mouth is the holy grail for writers to promote their books.
- The author was delighted to learn that the Duke and Duchess heard a passage from his book at what would later be the wedding of his sister, Pippa Middleton, seemingly unaware of who Pippa Middleton was. ((Mail online
- The author believes that jealousy kills marriages, but the openness of his marriage saves it.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education