Lyra's Press
Presents
The Alchemist
A Novel, by
Paulo Coelho
Published In A Hand-Bound Limited Edition From
Lyra's Books
Publishing
“When you want something,
all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
Driven by a recurring dream, Santiago, a young Andalusian shepherd, embarks on a journey to uncover a hidden treasure at the Egyptian pyramids. Along the way, he encounters various characters, including a mysterious and wise alchemist, who impart valuable lessons about listening to his heart, interpreting omens, and pursuing his Personal Legend.
The Alchemist is a timeless allegory about following one’s dreams and finding meaning in life. Throughout Santiago’s journey, the author invites readers to reflect on their own paths, encouraging them to listen to their hearts and pursue their deepest desires, regardless of the obstacles. The novel’s universal themes of self-discovery and the pursuit of one’s true calling have resonated with millions, connecting readers from diverse cultures and backgrounds and making it a beloved and enduring classic in world literature.
This is the first fine press edition of this culturally important title. For our edition, we have once again teamed up with the amazing Gary Gianni who has created an astonishing body of artwork. Gary has always wanted to illustrate this novel and we were happy to let him have free rein! Inside, you will find 10 full-page oil paintings and 14 full-page black ink line drawings, many of which spread across two pages. He has also provided us with a variety of little spot drawings which sit in the margins or within the text as well as multiple half and third page images. For a 200 page book, this is very richly illustrated!
The books are printed with a combination of letterpress and litho for the Numbered and Standard editions and letterpress and giclee for the Lettered edition. The text is printed letterpress by Hand and Eye in black, with yellow titles and chapter openings. The colour images are printed directly to the page and sewn into the structure of the bindings rather than being tipped on as plates or tipped in as full pages. All copies, as always, are hand bound by our bindery using the finest materials available.
You can find out more about each edition on our Shop Page.
Author
Paulo Coelho
Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian lyricist and author, born in 1947 in Rio de Janeiro. His novels, known for their rich symbolism and spiritually inspired journeys, have captivated readers around the world.
Best known for his novel The Alchemist, Coelho’s writing is celebrated for its exploration of the themes of self-discovery and the pursuit of one’s dreams. Before becoming a full-time writer, Coelho worked as a songwriter and journalist – experiences that deeply influenced his literary voice.
With books translated into more than 80 languages, Coelho’s simple yet profound narratives have earned him a global following, making him one of the most influential and widely read writers of contemporary literature. To date, Coelho’s works have sold more than 320 million copies worldwide.
Artist
Gary Gianni
Gary Gianni began as an illustrator for Chicago newspapers and as a reporter sketch artist for television. He has illustrated books for a wide range of modern authors, often personally requested by them, including Michael Chabon, Ray Bradbury and George RR Martin, as well as classic novels by Herman Melville and Jules Verne. He also spent several years illustrating the works of R.E. Howard, bringing to life the stories of Conan, Solomon Kane, and Bran Mak Morn in a series of internationally best-selling books.
In collaboration with George R.R. Martin, Gianni created hundreds of drawings and paintings for the A Song of Ice and Fire series, which earned numerous award nominations.
In the world of comics, he has worked on iconic characters such as Batman, The Shadow, and Hellboy, as well as his own creation, Monstermen. For nearly a decade, he served as illustrator on the syndicated newspaper strip Prince Valiant.
More recently, he has worked on fine press projects, including The Case of Death and Honey (Arete Editions) and A Christmas Carol (Lyra’s Books).
Design Notes
Marcelo Anciano
When Rich first mooted publishing The Alchemist, I enthusiastically agreed that the book would be a great companion to the other tales we had worked on together. It was a story I read when it first came out, and it felt like a lovely fable about creativity and dreams.
Gary Gianni is an artist I have worked with for decades now, and together we find a unique, personal way to visualise each illustrated book we produce. When Rich and I first approached Gary about the story, he was thrilled, as it resonated with him too: the notion of chasing dreams and the value of accepting destiny.
I knew from the outset how I wanted the book to be read and how the illustrations could enhance the reading experience. I wanted the pictures to flow throughout the text and explode into full pages in black and white, as well as colour, at pivotal moments. I also wanted paintings to be dotted throughout as colourful vignettes, not just in black and white, as is traditional. These colour vignettes would complement the full-page paintings. Additionally, I didn’t want the full-page colour works to follow the usual rectangular format, but to have a sense of floating and bleeding onto the page, like dreams being formed.
When we outlined the concept to Gary, he understood exactly what we were talking about. Our shared shorthand meant he grasped the notion immediately. The forms of those colour vignettes are old – the Golden Age illustrators like N.C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover and Dean Cornwell were adept at just those sorts of compositions. It’s a style less common today, but it suited the visual concept for The Alchemist perfectly.
I am so happy with the end result. It is one of the books that both Gary and myself are most proud of. I feel we have merged text and image in a way that reflects the mood of Coelho’s story perfectly. It was an absolute joy to make and to see what we’ve achieved after years of work.
Design Notes
Richard Tong
I’ve been working on the binding designs for these books, on and off, for the last couple of years. As always, I wanted to wait until the first few paintings were sent over by Gary before really beginning, so that I could ensure the bindings worked in harmony with the art.
Even before then, my mind was thinking of desert colours: oranges, browns, yellows and golds, along with night-time blues and purples. I always start with colours, and I wanted the bindings to evoke a feeling of sun and sand, promised treasure and the journey.
How do you depict ‘journey’ on such a small canvas within the confines of hand production, while keeping the designs as clean and refined as possible? Well… you can show night and day; time moving onwards. You can use lines to connect one thing to another, suggesting movement. On the Standard edition, we have the Merchant pointing towards the next stage in Santiago’s journey and, ultimately, as you pull the book from the slipcase, towards the pyramids themselves.
The pyramid shape is the main design element that runs through all three editions. The pyramids in this story are an important symbol. They represent the goal Santiago aims for, as they mark the location of his treasure – his Personal Legend. Throughout the book, they symbolize the difficulty of his quest and, eventually, point him toward where the real treasure lies.
Alchemy, on a very basic level, is about transforming one thing into another – the commonly known example being the process of turning base metals into gold. In this book, Coelho uses alchemy as a metaphor for personal change and self-discovery. On the Numbered and Lettered editions especially, you will see this idea of change in the binding designs: mirrored images, sky and earth, light and shadow, contrasting colours, night into day… above and below. The alchemical concept of ‘as above, so below’ symbolises the connection between the material and spiritual worlds and this serves as a design motif on both of these editions as well.
“That which is below is like that which is above, and that which is above is like that which is below, to accomplish the miracle of the One Thing” – The Emerald Tablet
At one point in the story, the alchemist teaches Santiago that the Philosopher’s Stone and the Elixir of Life are difficult to produce because humans have lost trust in simplicity. I have never lost trust in simplicity, especially in book design, and I have tried to bring some of that simplicity to the bindings of this edition, while touching on important aspects of the text. I have spent a long time refining the designs to the point where the bindings appear very simple, though they most definitely are not. If people are able to connect with the intent of the design that will make me very happy. For me, the concept is as important as anything else. Good design and materials can make a book elegant, but a good concept can make it special.
Maktub!
