YEREVAN (Armenpress)–Prominent Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho met with President Kocharian on October 7 to discuss the role of culture and literature in educating the new generation.
Coelho–who is visiting Armenia at the invitation of the Hamazkayin cultural organization–is well-known for his powerful storytelling technique and profound spiritual insights.
The president remarked that Coelho’s works erode the boundary between reality and fantasy in the best traditions of Latin American literary heritage. The president also said the Armenian translation of one of his most acclaimed works–The Alchemist–has become accessible to Armenian readers.
On October 5–the auditorium of the Armenian Writers’ Union was packed to honor the author. Chairman of Armenian Writers’ Union Levon Ananyan–praised The Alchemist as an outstanding piece of modern literature and presented a membership card of honor to Coelho.
In his speech–Coelho spoke of the Armenia as a motherland which has children around the world–who come back to their motherland and enrich its culture with the elemen’s of different civilizations.