Brazilian, author of The Alchemist and The Zahir, Patron of the Architects of the Future

In 2005, Paulo Coelho inspired us to found the "Architects of the Future" and, since then, he has acted as their patron.

Paulo was born in Rio in August 1947. During the early seventies, he started an alternative magazine called 2001. In 1987, Paulo wrote The Pilgrimage: Diary of Magus about his experience walking the Road to Santiago, the medieval pilgrim's route between France and Spain. A year later, Paulo wrote a very different book, The Alchemist. The first edition sold only 900 copies and the publishing house decided not to reprint. His next novel Brida shot up the bestseller list, and brought The Alchemist along with it. The Alchemist went on to sell over 30 million copies in 140 countries. Coelho transcends cultural differences with top sales rankings in Israel, Iran, and India.

Paulo has received numerous prestigious international awards and he has participated in the World Economic Forum eight times.

Paulo is the founder of the Paulo Coelho Institute, which provides support and opportunities for underprivileged members of Brazilian society. He was appointed special advisor to the UNESCO program Spiritual Convergences and Intercultural Dialogues and he was appointed board member of the Schwab Foundation for social entrepreneurship.

http://www.paulocoelho.com