Paulo Coelho de Souza is a Brazilian lyricist and novelist and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters since 2002. His 1988 novel The Alchemist was an international best-seller.
Coelho in April 2007
Academia Brasileira de Letras
The Academia Brasileira de Letras is a Brazilian literary non-profit society established at the end of the 19th century. The first president, Machado de Assis, declared its foundation on Tuesday, 15 December 1896, with the by-laws being passed on Thursday, 28 January 1897. On Tuesday, 20 July of the same year, the academy started its operation.
Facade of the Brazilian Academy of Letters
Lúcio de Mendonça [pt], founder of the ABL.
The Petit Trianon in Rio de Janeiro, the seat of the academy since 1923.
The writer Fernando Henrique Cardoso, ex-President of Brazil, taking possession as a member of the academy in 2013.