"All my books comes from my own life experiences"

Writer Paulo Coelho chatted on Aftonbaldet.se

The brazilian author Paulo Coelho chatted on Aftonbladet.se. Among other questions he answeared was about his symbolical language and when he decided to become an author.

Moderator säger: Chattet körs på engelska! Var inte orolig om din engelska inte är perfekt, huvudsaken är ju att du får svar på dina frågor.

Paulo Coelho säger: Hello, here I am in this magical country, in this magical city. Please ask whatever you want to ask

Anne säger: First I´d like to say that The Alchemist is one of the absolutely best books I´ve read. Such a "simple" story, and still so full of insights. How did you get your inspiration for this novel?

Paulo Coelho säger: Anne, this is my methaphorical journey. Once I was someone who had a dream, but did not dare to follow it. When I decided to follow, I went to this journye of Santiago

Max säger: In my opinion Alchemist is the best book I have ever read. How long did it take to find all the metaphoras etc?

Paulo Coelho säger: There is a symbolical language that talks to our soul. It comes out unconsciously

Jenny S säger: Dear Mr Coelho,

In a Norwegian interview you said that even the people living in the Pyrenées wanted to go to Paris. Are you happy with your life or are you also longing for another life or to go somewhere else?

And thank you for being a writer!

Love from Jenny

Paulo Coelho säger: I am following my journey, with the challenges that this implies, and a warrior of the light is always accepting the challenges. Thanks Jenny

Miss Camilla säger: Hello! When did you decide to become a writer?

Paulo Coelho säger: When I was 17, but everybody told me that it was imnpossible, and I postponed it till I was 38, Camilla

Ina säger: Why did your parents put you into mental hospital?

Paulo Coelho säger: because they thought I was too rebelious, wanting to be an artist in a moment that it was dangerous to live in a dictatorship

Max säger: Was there something in Alchemist that was close to your life?

Paulo Coelho säger: Max, I believe that I was in verevy situation of the shepperd boy

ZyXeL säger: I have to ask you something......

Isnt it boring ton sit and write a whole book.. I mean you have to come up for ideas for the book and stuff isnt that hard?

Paulo Coelho säger: In fact, all my books come from my life experiences, and I can say that my life is everything but boring

mikaela säger: which book is your favorit of your own books?

Paulo Coelho säger: As a mother, I have no favorite children, Mikaela

Freud säger: Have you ever studied Alchemy?

Paulo Coelho säger: Yes, for eleven years.

Scarface säger: Paulo, can you forgive your parents for putting you in, tractor, a mental hospital?

Paulo Coelho säger: I have nothing to forgive, because they did not mean to hurt me, just to protect me. it was a desperate act of love, but still it was an act of love

Moderator säger: The chat will start in a couple of minutes.

Paulo Coelho säger: the chat has already started! the moderator is trying to fix her computer!

Spirou säger: Dear sir, I loved your book The Alchemist. I´m looking forward to read the next one. What inspired you to write about that girl (I think her name is Veroniqe)

Paulo Coelho säger: Veronika decides to die has just been published in Swedish, and it is a book about our right to be different. Thanks Spirou

Helena säger: What do you think about Sweden and have You read any swedish books?

Paulo Coelho säger: Many Swedsh books I reaed, as you have a very rich literature. And I must say that from time to time I come here in vacations, I love the country since I visited it for the first time, 21 years ago

Mujo säger: Hi Paulo, Have you plan to visit Slovakien ?

Paulo Coelho säger: Yes, Mujo. I was there 3 years ago, I hope to return soon

Wolf Killer säger: What kind of music do you like?

Paulo Coelho säger: from the Beatles to Wagner. Music is everywhere

Wolf Killer säger: What inspires you to write? Traactoor

Paulo Coelho säger: Life itself. It is my way to share what I have, as it is part of human condition to share everything with everybody

Pia säger: Did your own experiences from the mental institution inspire you to write Veronica decides to die?

Paulo Coelho säger: Yes, Pla

Frans Kigali säger: Mr Cohelo, is it possible to be happy with all your insights about destiny and the voice of the soul?

Paulo Coelho säger: Happiness is for me like Sunday afternoon, where nothing happens. My goal is not to be happy, but to have the joy of the Good Fight

Jenny S säger: Do you really think that all people have a destiny like Santiago in the Alchemist, or are some people only here as "filling" between the people with a destiny? Thank you for answering my other question! Love from Jenny

Paulo Coelho säger: Jenny, everybody has a destiny, but they refuse to live it, out of fear, guilty, or the desire to please other people

Freud säger: You are a fantastic writer! What would your one-line advice be to me who want to be a writer?

Paulo Coelho säger: Freud, start writing, and don' t be intimidated by what people may think or say.

Jenny S säger: Dear Mr Coelho,

When you give out a new book, are you ever worried what people might think of it? If they like it or not?

Love from Jenny

Paulo Coelho säger: No, Janney. I am concerned about the capacity to express my soul. My new book, now currently # 1 in several countries, is about sex and prostitution. My publishers where concerned, but the people responded very well because it is a honest book

Johanna Gullberg säger: Hello Senor Coelho. I have just read your books; Alkemist and I sat by the river Pioedra and cried. I must say tha t those books are the most spectacular i´ve ever read. Ofcourse you´ve heard this a million times but I want you to know that i was almost impossible to contact during the time I read the books. I´ve just moved from south of Sweden to Malaga in Spain and this just maid my feeling+s even stronger though your book Alkmist starts in Andalucia. What other books have you written? I want to read them all.

Paulo Coelho säger: Hello Johanna. to check all my titles you can go to www.paulocoelho.com

Gustaf the Alchemist säger: Do you meditate?

Paulo Coelho säger: An active meditation. I do kyudo (Japanese zen archery). You can also see a photo of my with my bow in the opening page of www.paulocoelho.com

Ari säger: Paulo, have you read the book Lord of the rings

Paulo Coelho säger: It was a classic of my generation, Ari.

Tesa säger: Could your destiny be something as "simple" as getting married and have children or is it always bigger than that???

Paulo Coelho säger: Of course, Tesa.

Pia säger: Do you share the religous beliefs of the people in northern Brazil/ Catholicism mixed with the gods of nature?

Paulo Coelho säger: Fisrt, for Tesa again: your destiny is your destiny and everything is important. As for religion, I am Catholic, but I respect the traditional afro cultures

Hello säger: Have You a girlfriend?

Paulo Coelho säger: Not at this very moment

Ina säger: Did your teachers at school encourage you to write?

Paulo Coelho säger: No. they encouraged me to learn mathematics and chemistry.

Joakim_b säger: Have you read bob dylan's novel tarantula? If you have, what are your opinions on it?

Paulo Coelho säger: Not yet, Joakim. But I will take note

Wolf Killer säger: what did you work with before you became a writer?

Paulo Coelho säger: I was a lyricist, a tv screenplayer, but my dream was to be a writer

Tesa säger: Who is your favorite writer?

Paulo Coelho säger: William Blake

teddy säger: are you planing to do any more books?

Paulo Coelho säger: I hope so. Not planning, but allowing the book to participate in my life till it is the moment to write it

malin säger: I have to go and studdy. But I hope you know how much I love your books.. Everyone of them.. I'm 16 years old and know meny people how read your books. In my age and much much older people. god bye for today. And as we say in Sweden "Hej Då!!"

Paulo Coelho säger: Thank you Malin

Tesa säger: What happens to the world-soul when people refuse to live out their destiny???

Paulo Coelho säger: People suffers, and so do the soul of the world. But we will reach a critical mass when the warriors of the light start living up their dreams

Ina säger: What does your parents think about your writing? Have they read your books?

Paulo Coelho säger: Yes, they did, and at the end they were very happy that I fulfilled my destiny

Johan säger: Do you find it more difficult to write your books, after getting so famous?

Paulo Coelho säger: Writing is a very lonely work. And as I don't have to prove anything anymore, it makes more easy to write what I feel.

Freud säger: I just want to say thanks for answering some of my questions; I am looking forward to read loot more from you!

Paulo Coelho säger: The moderator is telling me that our chat is close to the end, I would like to thank you all for participating, and I hope to seeing some of you either here tomorrow, or Sunday Akademibonhalden City in Stockholm, at 14:00 hs. thanks!!!

Freud säger: I just want to say thanks for answering some of my questions; I am looking forward to read loot more from you!