Who is Athena? The orphan abandoned by her gypsy mother in Transylvania. The child taken to Beirut by her adoptive parents. The clerk working in a large bank in London. The successful real estate agent in Dubai. The priestess of Portobello Road. Athena is the main character in The Witch of Portobello. Her story is told by the people who knew her, amongst them, her adoptive mother, a journalist researching vampirism, a priest, a teacher of calligraphy, and an actress. They each draw a different facet of her character, describing what they saw and experienced as well as their own impressions, beliefs and anxieties.

A transversal cut in the anatomy of Paulo Coelho’s literary work, Be like a river flow compilation of tales, opinions and ideas constitutes a beautiful reflection of the wide creation of the Brazilian writer. Rescued from different periods and publications, the current collection draws the sensitive line followed by the eyes of the creator, stopping on those details of reality and contemplation which distill the subtle philosophy of one who observes existence with the same placidity of gazing at a river. Undoubtedly, with a clear intention of approaching and revealing the mystery and the ways in which a man walks through life. Telling the story of human beings, with their numerous edges, is what Paulo Coelho considers his mission. Telling what they are and how they are, without necessarily bonding to what they want or to what they pretend. Almost like instant pictures of life. Brief and intense pieces of writing that show us a tiny eternal moment of someone’s living. Just like a boy who writes on his notebook with more awareness of his pen than the content of his tale, simply because everything will depend on the way we look at things. These are delicate and pure reflections about literature, history, the art of love or the way to become an archer, when repetition turns into intuition, extolling the capacity of the senses. Or about books and libraries, where the ordinary act of choosing contents can project to life in all its most various shades.

It begins with a glimpse or a passing thought. It ends in obsession .
One day a renowned author discovers that his wife, a war correspondent, has disappeared, leaving no trace. Though time brings more success and new love, he remains mystified – and increasingly fascinated – by her absence. Was she kidnapped, blackmailed, or simply bored with their marriage? The unrest she causes is as strong as the attraction she exerts.
His search for her – and for the truth of his own life – takes him from France to Spain, Croatia and, eventually, the bleakly beautiful landscape of Central Asia. More than that, it takes him from the safety of his world to a totally unknown path, searching for a new understanding of the nature of love and the power of destiny.
With The Zahir, Paulo Coelho demonstrates not just his powerful and captivating storytelling, but also his extraordinary insight into what it is to be a human being in a world full of possibility.

Eleven Minutes tells the story of Maria, a young girl from a Brazilian village, whose first innocent brushes with love leave her heart-broken. At a tender age, she becomes convinced that she will never find true love, instead believing that 'Love is a terrible thing that will make you suffer...' A chance meeting in Rio takes her to Geneva, where she dreams of finding fame and fortune yet ends up working the streets as a prostitute. In Geneva, Maria drifts further and further away from love while at the same time developing a fascination with sex. Eventually, Maria's despairing view of love is put to the test when she meets a handsome young painter. In this odyssey of self-discovery, Maria has to choose between pursuing a path of darkness, sexual pleasure for its own sake or risking everything to find her own 'inner light' and the possibility of sacred sex, sex in the context of love.
In this gripping and daring new novel, Paulo Coelho sensitively explores the spiritual nature of sex and love and invites us to confront our own prejudices, demons and embrace our own 'inner light'.

A community devoured by greed, cowardice and fear. A man persecuted by the ghosts of his painful past. A young woman searching for happiness. In one eventful week, each of them will face questions of life, death and power, and each of them will have to choose their own path. Will they choose good or evil? The remote village of Viscos is the setting for this extraordinary struggle. A stranger arrives, carrying with him a backpack containing a notebook and eleven gold bars. He comes searching for the answer to a question that torments him: are human beings, in essence, good or evil? In welcoming the mysterious foreigner, the whole village becomes an accomplice to his sophisticated plot, which will forever mark their lives. In this stunning new novel, Paulo Coelho dramatizes the struggle within every soul between light and darkness, and its relevance to our everyday struggles: to dare to follow our dreams, to have the courage to be different and to master the fear that prevents us from truly living. The Devil and Miss Prym is a story charged with emotion, in which the integrity of being human meets a terrifying test.

Veronika seems to have everything she could wish for. She goes to popular night spots, she meets and dates attractive young men and yet she's not happy. Something is lacking in her life. That's why, in the morning of 11th November 1997, Veronika Decides to Die. After taking an overdose, Veronika is told she has only a few days to live.
This story follows Veronika through these intense days as to her surprise, she finds herself drawn into the enclosed world of the local hospital she is staying in. In this heightened state she discovers things she has never really allowed herself to feel before: hatred, fear, curiosity, love - even sexual awakening. Her experiences lead her gradually to realise that every second of her existence is a choice between living and dying. Paulo Coelho's new book is about those who do not fit into patterns considered normal by society. It is about madness and the need to find an alternative way of living for people who frequently have to face other people's prejudices because they think in a different way.

The Manual of the Warrior of Light, presents a collection of philosophical thoughts and stories that will delight seekers everywhere. A warrior of the light does not spend his days trying to play the role that others have chosen for him. A warrior of the light does not waste his time listening to provocations; he has a destiny to fulfil. A warrior of the light knows his own faults, but he also knows his own qualities. A warrior of the light always does his best and expects the best of others. A warrior knows that the farthest-flung star in the Universe reveals itself in the things around him. The Manual of the Warrior of the Light is an invitation to each of us to live our dream, to embrace the uncertainty of life, and to rise to meet our own unique destiny. In his inimitable style, Paulo Coelho helps us to discover the warrior of the light within each of us. With inspiring short passages, we are invited to embark upon the way of the warrior: the one who appreciates the miracle of being alive, the one who accepts failure and the one whose quest leads him to become the person he wants to be.

"There are inevitable moments of misfortune which interrupt our lives. However, they happen for a reason." Sometimes the world seems to have conspired against us, and so we ask ourselves, "Why does this have to happen to me?" Confronted by the inevitable, some of us become discouraged; others, however, grow stronger and increase their understanding.
The story of the prophet Elijah is an invaluable lesson of hope for the contemporary man. To what point can we predict our own destiny? This is the question that hangs in the air over The Fifth Mountain, and every one of us has tried to grasp it.
Evoking all the drama and intrigue of the colourful, chaotic world of the Middle East, Paulo Coelho turns the trials of Elijah into an intensely moving and inspiring story – one that powerfully brings out the universal themes of how faith and love can ultimately triumph over.

In all stories of love there is always something that moves us closer to eternity and the essence of life because the stories of love hold within all the secrets in the world.
But what happens when shyness prevents an adolescent love affair from developing? And what happens when, 11 years later, destiny brings the lovers together again? In the meantime, life has taught her to be strong and to hide her feelings. As for him, he is now a handsome spiritual teacher – with a reputation for performing miracles – who has turned to religion as a refuge from his inner conflicts.
Together they take a journey that is initially fraught with difficulty as blame and resentment resurface after years of being hidden. But by the River Piedra, in a small village in the French Pyrenees, they find a way to discuss many of life's big questions and re-evaluate their won special relationship.
By The River Piedra is a wonderful novel, with a poetic and transcendent narrative, that reflects all the mysteries of love and life.

EDITIONS
REVIEWS

Maktub is a collection of stories, parabolas that don't pretend to constitute an apprenticeship but offer a coloured treasure of fragmented wisdom from different cultures. Those short stories, inspired to the writer by vary different sources and folklores, were born from Paulo Coelho's collaboration with the daily Folha de São Paulo. Coelho selected texts published between June 1993 and June 1994, to offer readers around the world this Maktub, which deepens through the prism of a universal mosaic of oral tradition. According to Paulo Coelho himself, "Maktub is not an advice book, but an exchange of experiences", an excellent occasion to reflect and meet oneself again.

EDITIONS
FREE EDITIONS

Why is it that we destroy the things we love most? This is the question Paulo Coelho faces in this story of his confrontation with his past. 'The Valkyries' is a compelling account of his journey, as Paulo and his wife embark on a forty day quest into the searing heat of the Mojave Desert, where they encounter 'The Valkyries', strange warrior women who travel the desert on motorcycles.
This is not only a modern day adventure, it is also an exploration of one man's battle with self doubt and fear, as well as a true story of two people striving to understand one another through adversity. Ultimately, 'The Valkyries' delivers a powerful message about forgiving our past and believing in our future.

EDITIONS

The true story of the Irish enchantress Brida O'Fern, and her path through the Wicca pagan tradition. Brida is only 21 years old when she meets a magician and asks to become a witch. The book compares the two classical forms of teaching, the Revelation (Tradition of the Sun) and the ritualistic (Tradition of the Moon). Love is the only way we have to bridge over to the spiritual world. When we love, we want to be better than we already are, and love makes us better.

EDITIONS

Every few decades a book is published that influences the life of its readers forever. Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist is such a book which has already achieved the status of a modern classic".
"To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation."
Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired millions of delighted readers around the world. This story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who ventures from his homeland in Spain to North Africa in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a beautiful, young gypsy woman, a man who calls himself a king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is or if Santiago can surmount the obstacles along the way through the desert. But what starts out as a boyish adventure to discover exotic places and worldly wealth turns into a quest for the treasures only found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, Santiago's story is an eternal testament to following our dreams and listening to our hearts.

In 1986, Paulo Coelho sets out for The Pilgrimage towards Santiago de Compostela. "In those days –says the author-, my spiritual quest was linked to the idea that there were secrets, mysterious ways, and people capable of understanding and controlling things which would be unavailable to most mortals. I thought that what leads us to grasping the mystery of life, must be difficult and complicated." This journey becomes a truly initiatory experience, and Paulo is transformed for ever as he learns to understand the nature of truth through the simplicity of life: he learns that "the extraordinary is always found in the way of the common people." As a writer, he devotes himself to show, in a plain and fluid style, the richness of our inner reality with the intention of sharing his experiences with all of us. Thus, The Pilgrimage has a very important place in the work, not just because it is the first of his major books, after which came The Alchemist, but because of the complete way in which it expresses the humanity of Paulo's philosophy and the depth of his search.