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Street roots
Sept. 14, 2012
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COELHO, from page 1
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P H O T O C O U R TE S Y OF
PAU LO CO ELHO
outlawed in Iran.
bestseller? How did you become a
But what is it about his books that
journalist? Just changing how to why makes
warrants them being banned? “Why they are
a lot of difference to life.
which may come as a shock given the solace
dangerous? Ask them, ask them!” he
“All my books, and this I guarantee, I put
his novels have provided for so many.
exclaims. “Any idea may be dangerous. It
the same enthusiasm and love,” he
At the time, Coelho should have been on
depends on the culture that absorbs it.
continues. “Having said that, you can
top of the world — a happily married
Writing implies the revolution of the writer
imagine if I thought about half a billion
bestselling author. Instead, he was
itself. So I don’t know why some books are
people (reading my books) I would be
suffocating in his “comfort zone.”
banned here or there. I don’t ask questions -
paralyzed. It’s natural that we try to please
“It looked like I had no more challenges
I have Internet, don’t worry.”
everybody, so we cannot think about this.”
in life,” he explains. “This is not good
A proud Internet pirate, Coelho is
Born in 1947 in Rio de Janeiro to a
because life is a constant challenge. People
notorious among his publishers for
middle class family, Coelho was committed
tend to stay in the comfort zone because it
distributing much his work online for free.
to a mental institution three times by his
is safe [but] if you don’t accept challenges
And anticipating that “Aleph” would be
parents from the age of 17. Rejecting their
you are dead!”
banned in Iran, he posted a prominent link
wishes for him to become a lawyer, Coelho
This diagnosis does not bode well for
on his website for the Farsi translation of
lived as a hippie until 1974 when his
Western society, where lives are dictated by
the book. “You won’t believe me,” he teases,
subversive politics attracted the attention of
TV schedules and people are trapped by
“but we have had 317,000 downloads of this
the Brazil’s military dictatorship, who
routine. By Coelho’s definition, we are not
Farsi edition.”
imprisoned and tortured him, leading to a
really living.
Revolutionizing how authors interact with
fracture in his
otherwise unwavering their readers online, Coelho spends hours
each day posting regular blog entries and
Catholic beliefs.
replying to user comments. Last year he
“I totally lost my
R evolutionizing how authors
was declared the second most influential
faith,” he admits. “I
Interact w ith th e ir readers
Twitter user in a survey carried out by
thought, this cannot
onllste, Coelho spends hours
happen to me. This is Forbes Magazine. “More influential than
Lady Gaga and Barack Obama,” he says,
each day posting regular
not fair, this is not
laughing. Only bubblegum popping teen
just, God does not
blog entries and replying to
messiah Justin Bieber pipped him to the top
me. It took me
user comments, la s t year he love
spot.
seven years to get rid
was declared the second
“I’m really crossing my fingers for Justin
of this experience.
Bieber to use his celebrity to do
“When you are in
most in flu e n tia l T w itter user
something,” Coelho adds. “He is very young
jail and you are
In a survey carried out by
but I hope he can use his influence to do
tortured, you don’t
Forbes Magaalne. "More
something good.”
exist anymore,” he
In flu e n tia l than hady flag a
The statement almost sounds facetious,
continues. “After you
but the sentiment is sincere. Believing that
are released the
and Baracfe O banta/? he
art has the potential to unite humanity,
prison remains in
saysy laughing.
Coelho primarily uses his blog to share
your soul.” But since
stories from around the world and
a person is the sum
encourage others to do the same with
of his experiences,
whatever creative outlets available to them.
can Coelho consider
“Let’s not generalize, Steven,” he scolds,
“At this present moment, all bridges are
his suffering an important part of his
playfully. “Many people, but not everyone,
collapsing: economic, political, social. There
spiritual journey toward the man he would
otherwise I would not have any readers! It’s
is only one bridge still standing — the
become?
a tendency we have, and we have to fight
cultural bridge,” Coelho says. “I may not
“I doubt, Steven,” he sighs. “Probably my
against it.”
understand your political system, I may not
period in the mental institution was very
As “A leph” topped bestselling charts in
understand your religion but I understand
useful for me, but I don’t think you need to
countries as diverse as Brazil, Serbia and
your story. I understand your painting. I
be arrested and tortured to arrive where
the United States, it seems one question he
understand your music, your dancing. There
you need to arrive. This is the only thing
must be asked constantly is unavoidable:
you have this bridge.
that I would gladly erase from my past.
What is the secret of his success?
“It is my responsibility as a writer to do
“I see friends who never ever recovered
“There is no reason!” he retorts.
my best not to allow this bridge to collapse.”
from this. For every three people who
“Reasons you give for deceits. You can give
“Aleph” is out now. You can follow Paulo
succeeded in overcoming their ordeal, seven
a thousand reasons to justify deceit but you
Coelho on twitter @paulocoelho.
are broken for life. Nothing justifies being
never can explain success.”
arrested (simply because) you have a
www.street-papers.org / The Big Issue UK
“Don’t ask me also, ‘What do I do with
different idea.”
my money?”’ he chides. “Everyone asks a
Coelho’s ideas are still being suppressed
lot of ‘how,’ they don’t ask ‘why.’ How did
by some regimes. For example, his work is
you become rich? How did you become a
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