Paulo Coelho de Souza ( KWEL-yoo, koo-EL-yoo, -yoh, Portuguese: [ˈpawlu kuˈeʎu]; born 24 August 1947) is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters since 2002. His 1988 novel The Alchemist became an international best-seller. Early life. Paulo Coelho was born on 24 August 1947 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and attended a Jesuit school. At age 17, Coelho's parents committed him to a mental institution from which he escaped three times before being released at the age of 20.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Coelho