The Alchemist, originally written in Portuguese and published in 1988, follows the adventures of a young Andalusian shepherd named Santiago as he journeyed towards the pyramids of Egypt in seek of his Personal Legend.

 The core philosophy of this hero’s journey can be summarised in a simple quote from the book: “when you really want something to happen, the whole universe will conspire so that your wish comes true”, do you agree? This book has been widely regarded as a self-help book more than a work of fiction, so what lesson do you find most inspiring? Unlike most popular literature, The Alchemist initially portrayed love as an obstacle and not a goal or reward, what does that say about the book’s attitude towards romantic love? The people Santiago meets along the way are the embodiments of different attitudes about wealth, life etc., in your opinion, who represents what traits and which character do you think is most inspirational?