Paulo Coelho de Souza (/ˈkwɛl.juː, kuˈɛl.juː, -joʊ/ KWEL-yoo, koo-EL-yoo, -yoh,[1] Portuguese: [ˈpawlu koˈeʎu]; born 24 August 1947) is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters since 2002.[2] His 1988 novel The Alchemist was an international best-seller.