Paulo Coelho is a famous Brazilian lyricist and novelist, born on August 24, 1947, in Rio de Janeiro. He is one of the most famous and widely read contemporary authors, with a vast global fan base.
Coelho mostly writes drama and romance works, and his most popular and successful book is “The Alchemist,” which sold more than 65 million copies worldwide since its initial release in 1988. It is one of the bestselling books in the history of writing.
Paulo dreamed of becoming a writer since his early years. His family was Catholic, and very religious. He attended a Jesuit school, and his parents did not support his dreams, and even committed him to a mental institution at 17. He escaped three times and was released at 20 years of age.
He decided to forget about his dreams and enrolled himself in a law school. However, he dropped out and lived as a hippie. He traveled through North and South America, Mexico and Europe, and used drugs during the 1960s.
When he came back to Brazil, he worked as a songwriter for many famous Brazilian artists. He also found work as a journalist, actor, and theatre director, before he entirely focused on writing.
Since 1974, he has been married to artist Christina Oiticica. Today, they live in Geneva, Switzerland.
The complete bibliography of Paulo Coelho
During the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s:
Theater For Education (1974), Hell Archives (1982), The Pilgrimage (1987), The Alchemist (1988), Brida (1990), The Supreme Gift (1991), The Valkyries (1992), Maktub (1994), By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept (1994), The Fifth Mountain (1996), Love Letters from a Prophet (1997), Manual of the Warrior of Light (1997), Veronika Decides to Die (1998), Essential Words (1998).
During the 2000’s:
The Devil and Miss Prym (2000), Fathers, Sons and Grandsons (2001), Eleven Minutes (2003), The Genie and the Roses(2004), Journeys (2004), Life (2004), The Zahir (2005), Revived Paths (2005), Like the Flowing River (2006), The Witch of Portobello (2006), The Winner Stands Alone (2008), Love (2009).
During the 2010s:
Aleph (2010), Fabulas (2011), Manuscript Found in Accra (2012), Adultery (2014), The Spy (2016), Hippie (2018).
Quotes by Paulo Coelho
Except for his successful career as a writer, Paulo Coelho is famous for his inspiring quotes. They are a great insight into his mind, and many follow them as the words to live by. Below is a list of 15 of his best quotes.
” When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
“When you repeat a mistake, it is not a mistake anymore: it is a decision.”
“One day you will wake up, and there won’t be any more time to do the things you’ve always wanted. Do it now.”
“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.”
“Life has a way of testing a person’s will, either by having nothing happen at all or by having everything happen at once.”
“At a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.”
“And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
“There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”
“The act of discovering who we are will force us to accept that we can go further than we think.”
“People are capable at any time in their lives, of doing what they dream of.”