Paulo Coelho was born in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil

This week on One on One, meet Paulo Coelho, the best-selling author and modern philosopher, whose personal story reads like a complex and gripping novel in itself.

His experiences range from travelling the world as a hippie to being tortured as a dissident, all of which has led him to write with a deep passion that has moved hundreds of millions of readers across the globe.

Born in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, into a family who clearly did not share his enthusiasm for the arts, Coelho was pushed by his parents into studying law.

When he rebelled his father had him committed to a mental institution where he was first given electro-shock therapy when he was just 17 years old.

Coelho also ended up in the dreaded jails of Brazil as a political activist and dissident.

His interest in spirituality led him to travel across Latin America, Europe and North Africa - travels reflected in his writing, which often features the theme of journeys and personal fulfillment.