Paulo Coelho is one of the most-read writers in the world. He is the author of several bestselling novels and holds a Guinness World Record. He holds the record for the most translated books by an author that is alive. 

This lyricist/novelist is world-renowned for his 1988 novel “The Alchemist.” For his mission to support children and old people, Paulo founded the Paulo Coelho Institute.

Paulo Coelho always dreamt of being a world-class writer. His parents however didn’t support his decision and forced him to go to law school. Outraged by this, he quit law school in the first year and became a hippie. The carefree drug-induced life which was all about sex and rock ended when Paulo was 38. When he was in Spain, he experienced some sort of spiritual awakening through which he was able to follow his lifelong dream of becoming a writer. 

EARLY LIFE

Paulo Coelho de Souza was born to Lygia Coelho and Pedro Queima de Coelho de Souza in Rio de Janeiro on the date of August 24, 1947.

Growing up in a Catholic family was difficult for him. As his parents were strictly religious, not much freedom was allowed to Paulo Coelho as a child. His parents never supported his dream of becoming a writer.

His father was an engineer and upon telling his mother that he wanted to be a writer her mother frowned and criticized his decision. Paulo’s parents admitted him to a mental institution at the age of 17. He was released from there at the age of 20. Paulo Coelho’s parents never trusted him and as they were highly religious, they thought something was wrong with their child.

After this, Paulo Coelho’s parents forced him to study law. He wasn’t very keen on this idea and dropped out of school after a year. He adopted the hippie life and traveled across the world in the 1960s. He was a heavy drug user. 

Paulo Coelho never hated his parents for what they had done. Paulo considered that his parents were only trying to help him but they didn’t know what to do. According to Paulo, they were only trying to save him. 

NATIONALITY AND ETHINICITY

Paulo Coehlo is of Brazilian nationality.

He is of Brazilian ethnicity. Paulo has Portuguese ancestry and his roots trace back to Aveiro which is in Portugal.

CAREER

Before starting his career as a writer, Paulo worked as a songwriter. He has composed lyrics for many Brazilian stars including Elis Regina, Rita Lee, and Raul Seixas. Coelo was associated with occultism due to the lyrical content after he worked with Raul. He was arrested and tortured by the ruling military government because they considered his lyrics left-wing and they considered him a threat. 

He wasn’t satisfied with his work as a songwriter and he was also involved in journalism, acting, and theatre directing before he started his career as a writer. 

Paulo started writing after he had a spiritual awakening while walking the “Road of Santiago de Compostela.” It was a life-changing moment. He found happiness in what he was doing to earn a living. 

His first book “Hell Archives” didn’t do well.

After the first book and the spiritual awakening, Paulo wrote the book “The Pilgrimage.” The book was an autobiographical account of his experiences and dabbled into the idea of man’s need to find a purpose in life.

The next book he wrote was titled “The Alchemist.” This novel was a massive success and it deals with the story of a shepherd dreaming of treasures in Egypt. He is best known for this novel and it has sold millions of copies worldwide.

He decided to write at least one novel every two years. 

His other well-renowned works from the 90s include “By the River Piedra I sat Down and Wept” and “Veronika Decides to Die” which were published in 1994 and 1998 respectively.

Paulo Coelho released the book “The Devil and Miss Prym” in 2000. This novel dealt with the idea of the conflict between good and evil.

In 2003, he published a novel called “Eleven Minutes” about a well-experienced prostitute who believed that she would never find the essence of true love.

Paulo Coelho’s most recent novels are 2014’s “Adultery”, 2016’s “The Spy” and 2018’s “Hippie”.

Kobe Bryant and Paulo Coelho were working on a children’s book project together but the book was scratched after Paulo heard about Kobe Bryant’s death in 2020.

AWARDS

Paulo Coelho has a long list of awards. He received an “Honorary Award” from the city of Odense in 2007.  He received Association of Mexican Booksellers Las Pergolas Prize, Mexico, 2006. He was awarded I Premio Álava en el Corazón Prize, Spain, 2006. He was the winner of Cruz do Mérito do Empreendedor Juscelino Kubitschek, Brazil, 2006. He received The Religion Communicators Council Wilbur Award, U.S., 2006.

He was awarded with The Zahir—Kiklop Literary Award Hit of the Year, Croatia, 2006. He received the DirectGroup International Author Award, Germany, 2005. He was winner of the Goldene Feder Award, Germany, 2005, Budapest International Book Festival Budapest Prize, Hungary, 2005, Order of Honour of Ukraine, Ukraine, 2004.

He received Order of St. Sophia for Contribution to Revival of Science and Culture, Ukraine, 2004, The Alchemist—Nielsen Gold Book Award, UK, 2004, Crystal Mirror Award, Poland, 2000, Golden Medal of Galicia, Spain, 1999.

He was winner of The Fifth Mountain–International IMPAC Literary Award Finalist, Ireland, 2000, Comendador de Ordem do Rio Branco, Brazil, 1998, Golden Book Award, Yugoslavia, 1995–2000 and 2004, Super Grinzane Cavour Book Award, Italy, 1996, Flaiano International Award, Italy, 1996.

His Awards does not end here. He was granted Knight of Arts and Letters, France, 1996, ELLE Grand Prix Litteraire des Lectrices, France, 1995, United Nations Messenger of Peace, 2007, Ambassador of European Union for Intercultural Dialogue, 2008.

PERSONAL LIFE

Paulo Coelho is married to the artist named Christina Oiticica. They have been married since 1980 and lived together in Europe and Brazil. They live in Geneva, Switzerland now. 

He has also worked as a special counsellor at UNESCO. 

He actively works for the betterment of children and the elderly through his foundation “Paulo Coelho Institute.”

HEIGHT, WEIGHT AND AGE

His height is 1.73 meters and he weighs 75 kg.

Paulo turned 73 years old on August 24, 2020.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Paulo frequently posts in his blogs and is fairly active on other platforms too. He posts about 50 times in a month on his WordPress blog. 

You can follow him on:

Blog:

paulocoelhoblog.com

Twitter:

paulocoelho

Instagram:

www.instagram.com/paulocoelho/

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/paulocoelho/

NET WORTH

Paulo is one of the most successful writers alive. His huge net worth is an outcome of his novels. His works have been published in more than 170 countries. He has managed to gain a massive following and constantly impresses readers worldwide with his excellent work of literature. Through them, he has amassed a staggering estimated net worth of US$ 550 million.