I have to admit that I haven´t managed to read a single book written by Paulo Coelho. Several times I have tried to read "The Pilgrimage", but always was repelled by the pseudo-spiritual overload. Reading professional literature critics on Coelho has not contributed much to a change of mind. His interviews and numerous posts and self-witnesses on the internet prove Coelho without doubt as an author of pseudo-religious kitsch. Nevertheless he has gained reckognition not only from his readers,but also from well reputed institutions like the UNESCO.

The phenomenon Coelho is more interesting than the content of his books. He is an author,who seems to attract and fascinate many people as a kind of spiritual leader.

He himself denies such leadership, but at the same time everything he does including his activities on the internet promotes such a followers cult.
He gets not tired to emphazise that he is only responsible for the content of his books,but not for the way they are understood or misunderstood.

Quote from an Interview with the NYT in 2005:
"I never say I am a guru," he insisted. "That person does not exist. Readers only want to know if I have the same question as they have. But if I gave an answer, they'd soon see it was false. Many readers send me e-mails saying their lives have changed. But I didn't change those people. Everything was ready. Perhaps the book changed them."

The more I tried to understand the person (looking at interviews with him for example)the less it was possible. Quite contrary the conturs of his character seemed more and more blurred,unreal and undefined even unpersonal.

A quote from "The witch of Portobello" might shed some light on this effect:

"I may have two names, but I am only one - or else all the people in the world. And that is precisely what I want to talk about. Because I am one and everyone, the spark that emerges when I go into a trance gives me very precise instructions. I remain semi-conscious throughout, of course, but I'm saying things that come from an unknown part of myself, as if I were suckling on the breast of the Mother, drinking the milk that flows through all our souls and carries knowledge around the Earth. Last week, which was the first time I entered into contact with this new form, I received what seemed to me to be an absurd message: that I should teach you."

Possibly this is one of the most appealing characteristic of the person and it´s writings : a perfect empty projection mirror for his readers unfulfilled desires and dreams, an invitation to see their lifes as designable egotrip.

"Religion light" seems the product Coelho offers, believe without commitment, ready to be tailored to individual demand like a lifestyle accessoire.

This biography is mainly a translation of the German WIKI version which seems to have more content than the english version. However WIKI points out that there are a lot of "Weaselwords" in this biography which means that hard facts are not always available.
Remarkable is the fact that the very important influence on Coelho by the spanish R.A.M. is completely left in the sphere of fiction by the author himself for example. But also other aspects of his biography are unclear and contribute to a kind of legend and mystery about the person. Coelho was married 3 times.

The recently published biography stirs some more controversy: Link to NINEmsn
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Paulo Coelho was born in 1947 in a well situated family in Brazil. His father, Pedro was an engineer, his mother Lygia a housewife.He has an older sister named Sonia. From the beginning Paulo Coelhos life was strongly under the influence of religion.
As a boy of seven years, he attended the Jesuit school of San Ignacio in Rio de Janeiro, where he worked for a school poetry competition and won a prize.
Against the wish of his father,who wanted him to become an engeneer as well, Coelho studied law. But he interrupted his studies in 1970 to leave for a two year hippie world trip through South America, North Africa and Europe.

Coelhos subsequent work as a theatre and scriptwriter and his time of drug use were strongly condemned by his strict Catholic and conservative parents.
His bohemian revolt made his parents think, her son was mentally disturbed and as a consequence he was send three times into psychiatric clinic institution Casa de Saúde Dr. Eiras "(1966, 1967 and 1968),where he was treated with electro shock therapy.
The experience of this psychiatric treatment was described in his novel "Veronika decides to die".

Together with the musician Raul Seixas Coelho he became member of the 1973 anti-capitalist "alternative society", which propagated freedom and self-determination and practiced black magic too. During this time Coelho worked for a comic series called "Kring-ha", which was engaged also for more freedom from the military government in Brazil. Because of the potential danger of an opposition the military regime arrested the two men in 1974. Two days after his release Coelho was arrested and tortured by a paramilitary organization for several days . He wounded himself and proved his repeated stay psychiatric hospital. The kidnappers believed he was crazy and not responsible for his political commitment and set him free.

Between the years 1974 and 1976, he wrote provocative song lyrics together with Raul Seixas . There were a total of sixty five rock songs, which enjoyed great popularity in Brazil. He also wrote for Rita Lee, Elis Regina and Maria Bethânia. Coelho always had been interested in a variety of alternative models of life and beliefs, including for the ideas and rituals of the Hare Krishna and Wicca. In 1977 he left Brazil and moved to London with his first wife for a year, which he unsuccessfully devoted to writing. After his return to Brazil a year later, he worked three months as a senior employee at the record companies Columbia Broadcasting System and Polygram. Also, he worked short time for a music magazine and as editor for his own underground magazine . After three months he abruptly withdrew from his professional ambitions and got separated from his first wife.

On a trip through Europe (with his girlfriend and later wife Christina Oiticica)Coelho visited the concentration camp of Dachau. He reported having had a vision of a man who appeared to him two months later in a coffee shop in Amsterdam. This man convinced him in an interview to come back to Catholic religion and to go on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. From 1980 to 1985 Coelho lived according to his own information withdrawn in an old Spanish congregation called "tradition" to study Christian symbol language. Also according to Coelho´s own information this congregation was named "RAM" ( "Regnus Agnus Mundi" ) with Catholic origin, which had been established 1492 without headquarters . Coelho calls the experiences on the pilgrimage to Compostela a turning point in his life.
These experience and the retreat of RAM were used in the same book which was issued one year later: On the Road to Santiago - Diary of a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

In 1988 a second, completely different book followed:"The Alchemist". Eleven years of alchemist studies were used in the form of a symbolic text, a parable. The first edition sold only nine hundred copies, whereupon the publisher separated from him.

But Coelho followed his dream to become a writers. A major publisher, Editora Rocco, got interested in his work and the book was published in 1990 by Brida. The work got press attention and it also helped the other two books to get to the top of the bestseller lists. The Alchemist was in the Guinness Book of Records due to it´s high popularity in Brazil.

After that, especially since Harper Collins became his publisher the world career as bestselling author started.

Read more on Wikipedia

With the "Warrior of the light" Coelho created a cult-substitute for his readers ready for easy identification. Every reader of Coelhos texts can become a "warrior of the light" if he wants and more important how he wants. The only hurdle to take is to imerse and to participate in the queer universe of blurry speculations and pseudo wisdoms Coelho is offering. The foggy idea of permanent "improvement" or "development" is already the salvation.

In contrast to christian religion for example where bad deeds will be followed by consequences Coelho´s warrior of the light does not need to fear this, he is on his way. No question that it is necessary to buy Coelho´s books to keep on track !

"The warrior of the light" might seem near to buddist or zen philosophy. However the "Warrior of light" needs no hard discipline and meditation exercises or any consequent change in his way of life to achieve salvation.

A look at some of the reflections on the warrior of light on Coelho's blog makes it clear : everybody is a warrior of light, you can be as mean or weak as you are and most important you don´t need to change. The idea that you might change some time is enough! This is the perfect salvation message for the spiritual couch potatoe.

It is worth while to watch the trailer to a film by FactualTV. (link)
Asked wether he is still travelling with some blessed water from Lourdes Coelho explains that he drinks from a small bottle every morning and that nothing is important only things we can see,explain and consume.

Coelho discovered also the "magic" of free copies on the net of his work,which promoted the sales of his hard copies,but also caused some trouble for his publisher.
Link to the Guardian-UK: Coelho finds the perfect alchemy of print and digital

PAULO COELHO is

* Messenger of Peace for the UN
* Member of the Board of the Shimon Peres Institute for Peace
* UNESCO special counsellor for "Intercultural Dialogues and Spiritual Convergences"
* Board Member of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship
* Member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters

Paulo Coelho entered the Guinness Book of Records as the author that signed more books in different editions (October 9th 2003, at the Frankfurt Book Fair).

A Norwegian community, Arendal, gave copies of The Alchemist to all its civil servants, as a way of stimulating a new type of thought.

Many MBA courses, such as the one from The Graduate School of Business of the University of Chicago recommends the reading of The Alchemist to its students. This book has equally been adopted in schools in France, Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Taiwan, USA, Spain, etc.

The illustrated edition of The Alchemist, made by the artist Moebius, has already been released in many countries.

The book The Alchemist has been adopted in schools in more than 30 countries, offering special editions to students.

Paulo Coelho has managed to have three titles at the same time in bestselling lists in France, Brazil, Poland, Switzerland, Argentina, Greece, Croatia, and Russia.

The pope John Paulo II welcomed the author in the Vatican in 1998.

The World Economic Forum gave its most important prize to the author, the Crystal Award.

Coelho has a weekly column in the Brazilian newspaper O Globo and in several other newspapers around the globe.

In March 2000, the French government gave to the author its most prestigious title "Chevalier de L"Ordre National de la Legion d"Honneur"

IN January 2001, Paulo Coelho became member of the board in the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. This foundation favours social projects.

The life of Paulo Coelho has already been the theme of documentaries for the Irish TV (Seven Days - a Journey with Paulo Coelho), Japanese (The road of Kumano in February, The Road of Santiago in September), People & Arts Channel ( Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist of Word), A&E Mundo, TV Prima, amongst others.

Paulo Coelho has now his own drink: chocolate chaud with orange. It is a special homage paid to him by the Hotel Le Bristol"s bar in Paris, which is a setting for some of the passages of his most recent novel The Zahir.

During the months of March, April, May and June, Paulo Coelho travelled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his pilgrimage to Saint James of Compostella in 1986. He also held surprise book signings - announced one day in advance - in some cities along the way, to have a chance to meet his readers. In ninety days of pilgrimage the author travelled around the globe and took the famous Transiberrian train that took him to Vladivostok. During this experience Paulo Coelho launched his blog Walking the Path - The Pilgrimage in order to share with his readers his impressions.

In 2006, Paulo Coelho launched a compilation of tales, opinions and ideas called Be Like a Flowing River, based on his weekly columns. This book will be launched in most countries only in 2008, since his new book The Witch of Portobello, will have a worldwide release in 2007.

Major Prizes and Decorations

* Distinction of Honour from the City of Odense (Hans Christian Andersen Award) (Denmark 2007)
* Las Pergolas Prize 2006 by the Association of Mexican Booksellers (ALMAC) (Mexico 2006)
* "I Premio Álava en el Corazón" (Spain 2006)
* "Cruz do Mérito do Empreendedor Juscelino Kubitschek" (Brazil 2006)
* "Wilbur Award", presented by the Religion Communicators Council (USA 2006)
* Kiklop Literary Award for The Zahir in the category "Hit of the Year" (Croatia 2006)
* DirectGroup International Author Award (Germany 2005)
* "Goldene Feder Award" (Germany 2005)
* "The Budapest Prize" (Hungary 2005)
* "Order of Honour of Ukraine" (Ukraine 2004)
* "Order of St. Sophia" for contribution to revival of science and culture (Ukraine 2004)
* "Nielsen Gold Book Award" for The Alchemist (UK 2004)
* "Ex Libris Award" for Eleven Minutes (Serbia 2004)
* Golden Bestseller Prize from the largest circulation daily "Vecernje Novosti" (Serbia 2004)
* "Best Fiction Corine International Award 2002" for The Alchemist (Germany 2002)
* "Club of Budapest Planetary Arts Award 2002" as a recognition of his literary work (Germany 2002)
* "Bambi 2001 Award" (Germany 2001)
* "XXIII Premio Internazionale Fregene" (Italy 2001)
* "Crystal Mirror Award" (Poland 2000)
* "Chevalier de l"Ordre National de la Légion d"Honneur" (France 1999)
* "Crystal Award" World Economic Forum (1999)
* "Golden Medal of Galicia" (Spain 1999)
* Finalist for the "International IMPAC Literary Award" (Ireland 1997 and 2000)
* "Comendador de Ordem do Rio Branco" (Brazil 1998)
* "Golden Book" (Yugoslavia 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2004)
* "Super Grinzane Cavour Book Award" (Italy 1996)
* "Flaiano International Award" (Italy 1996)
* "Knight of Arts and Letters" (France 1996)
* "Grand Prix Litteraire Elle" (France 1995)