Writers have always existed since time immemorial and the reason is because it helps us escape from this world and enter another person's life or world. It's always good to meet these authors in person to know where they draw inspiration from and, in some cases, the circumstances that led them to write the books. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author who has written numerous famous books including The Devil and Miss Prym, 11 Minutes and The Zahir, but his most famous book is The Alchemist which sold an incredible amount of 165 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 80 languages. He has also received numerous awards for his books, such as the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2007, the Kiklop Literary Award Hit for The Zahir in 2006, the Corine International Award for best fiction in Germany in 2002 for The Alchemist and many others. The most important decision a writer has to make is choosing a theme for his book. Paulo Coelho didn't limit himself to just one topic, he spoke on several topics. One of the themes he used with The Alchemist is Magical Realism. Magical realism is a literary term used by authors, in which realistic and fantastic elements blend seamlessly. We can see this in The Alchemist when Santiago (a character from the book) goes out in search of his "Personal Legend". The first pages of the book seem realistic but then it moves into the realm of fantasy. He also talks about many other themes such as love in his book entitled "On the bank of the Piedra River I sat and cried", "The battle between good and evil in the devil" and "Miss Prym", Presence of a Power supreme in The Alchemist etc. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay One of the reasons why Coelho is a very successful writer is because of the messages he provides in his books. He became famous after The Alchemist and the reasons for this are his writing style, his themes and, above all, his message. It talks about how if someone wants to achieve something in their life, the universe is always on their side. In The Alchemist he reminds us that only we can shape our destiny and our future on this earth. It also talks about how we need to be realistic and not see things the way we want to see them, but see them for what they really are. Coelho always wanted to be a writer even as a young man, but his parents discouraged him and even sent him to a mental hospital three times since he was seventeen. The fact that he still continued his journey to become a writer and did not let his passion die is one of the many reasons why he is an inspiration to many writers around the world.