Paulo Coelho’s popular novel O Alquimista (The Alchemist), first published in Portuguese in 1988, has been translated to Maltese L-Alkemista.
Maltese translator Steve Borg recently completed the three-year project, using the Spanish work as the basis for his translation. His wife, Dr Mary Muscat, was consultant.
He told timesofmalta.com that while the plot appeared simple - a shepherd goes in search of the alchemist in the desert, it was actually about facing destiny.
The Maltese edition, he said, was somewhat different from the English translation which was a politically correct version of the novel.
Maltese is the 71st language the book has been translated to.