New Delhi: Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho's powerful novel The Alchemist has a huge following across the world. The story about a shepherd boy and his self-discovery has inspired people of all ages and all walks of life. An autorickshaw owner in Kerala also seems to be one of them.
The novelist tweeted a photo this Sunday, of the three-wheeler that has Paulo Coelho written on its back. Right beneath the name is ‘Alchemist' written in Malayalam.
“Kerala, India (thank you very much for the photo),” Coelho posted.
The tweet has since gone viral, with people in India, especially Kerala, widely sharing it. At the time of writing this report, the post had 2000 RTs and over 22,000 likes.
Many thanked the writer for the acknowledgment and the nice gesture, while others said how Coelho enjoys a huge fan base in India.
One user, however, made a pertinent comment that the tweet must reach the person, the autorickshaw driver or owner, behind the photo.
“It would be a great shame if the person behind this is unaware that PC had noticed this and tweeted about it. Must mean a lot,” he posted.
Meanwhile, as many users wondered who was the driver or owner of the autorickshaw, Malayala Manorama found the person and identified him as KA Pradeep from Ernakulam.
“I would say Coelho is a person with a magical pen…,” the report quoted him as saying.
Pradeep is said to be a big fan of Coelho and has written all his books that are available in Malayalam.
How Twitterati Reacted To Coelho’s Post
Harper Collins India took note of the celebrated writer’s post and called Pradeep’s act “A heartwarming homage to one of the most widely read and loved authors in the world!”
The tweet “automatically” landed on the timeline of Penguin India too, and the publication house shared it with all.
The official handle of Kerala Tourism also “spotted” The Alchemist in Kerala, and also its writer’s tweet.
In reply to Coelho's tweet, Twitter user Pradeep Menon wrote: "You will be surprised to know the kind of following you have in this small part of the world called Kerala."
"For us, you're not from Brazil or abroad. You're from the banks of the Bharathappuzha river, and feel you as one of our favourite Malayalam novelists," posted another user, Thomas Zachariah.