Superstar writer Paulo Coelho’s authorized bio stirs controversy
The authorized biography of
“The Magus,” a 600-page portrait by journalist Fernando Morais, makes several eyebrow-raising claims, among them that the
The biography also claimed that ABL members accepted the 60-year-old author of “The Alchemist” and “The Witch of Portobello” thinking the decision would attract media attention and revitalize the entity’s image.
The book was supposed to have its public debut at ABL headquarters in
Coelho had earlier written that he had never interfered in the drafting of the biography, and that all he did was open his personal archives to Morais.
“In other words, Fernando is free to speculate how he wishes about my election” to the ABL, Coelho wrote.
The biography also revealed that Coelho’s second book, “Practical Manual of Vampirism,” was actually authored by an old friend and collaborator, identified as Toninho Buda, whom Coelho never credited for the work originally published in 1985.
Later, Coelho said he pulled the book from store shelves because it was of poor quality, but never revealed that it was someone else’s work.
Coelho uses a simple, direct writing style and enjoys a reputation as a seeker and sage. He is the all-time best-selling writer in the Portuguese language, with a total of between 92 million and 100 million books sold.
His best known work, “The Alchemist,” has sold 30 million copies in 65 different languages and is being made into a feature film by
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