'The Alchemist (1988) is a novel, written by Paulo Coelho. It was originally written in Portuguese, then translated into 67 different languages; it won the Guinness World Record for most translated book by a living author. The Alchemist is an allegory, following the adventures of the main character, Santiago, a shepherd who believes his recurring dream about finding treasure is a prophecy. He travels to Egypt to live out his dream, meeting people and adventure on the way.