- guardian.co.uk, Tuesday July 22 2008 15.39 BST
1947-
"I believe in the concept of 'anima mundi' (soul of the world), where each person, through total dedication to what he does, comes into contact with the inspiration of the universe."
Birthplace
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Education
Unknown, although he did win the school poetry prize before three stints in psychiatric hospitals as a young adult.
Other jobs
Journalist; lyricist on a number of Brazilian pop hits; and artistic director of CBS in Brazil.
Did you know?
Before starting each new book, Coehlo looks for a white feather. As he prints out the first draft he touches the plume to each page.
Critical verdict
The popular verdict is unequivocal. Coelho is one of the world's biggest selling authors. Over 40m copies of his books have been sold and they have been translated into 55 languages and published in 140 countries. Fans describe his books as "life-changing" but critics tend to be more sniffy about the simplicity of his work, suggesting that he is pandering to the lowest common denominator of new age gullibility. All his books use symbols, dreams and archetypes to convey simple but universal truths.
Recommended works
Coelho's classic work is his first, The Alchemist. It is the tale of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who dreams of travelling the world to find treasure, and sets out to realise his dream. Coelho's later novels, such as Veronika Decides to Die and The Devil and Mrs Prym are considered to be a little more complex. All his works attempt to tackle fundamental questions relating to the human condition - good versus evil, joy and despair, light and dark.
Influences
His use of symbolism is inspired by his involvement in Regnus Agnus Mundi, a tiny sect with Catholic origins dating from 1492, which studies symbolic language. The direct inspiration for his early work was his 1986 pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. His literary influences are harder to pin down.
Now read on
If it is the simplicity of Coelho's work that grabs you, try other fables such as Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull or The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono. If spiritual journeys are your bag, try Carlos Castaneda. For more complex explorations of metaphysics, go for Milton, Blake or Philip Pullman's Northern Lights trilogy.
Adaptations
None, through his choice. Coelho has made a US$2m dollar offer to Warner Bros to buy back the only film rights he has ever sold, those to The Alchemist.
Useful links and work online
Work online
· Prologue to The Manual of the Warrior of Light (rtf file)
· Prologue to The Alchemist (rtf file)
· First chapter to Veronika Decides To Die (rtf file)
Background
· Paulo Coelho biography and other resources on his literary agents' website
