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  • Published: 31 July 2017
  • ISBN: 9780143788171
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 208
  • RRP: $22.99

The Spy




The Spy tells the unforgettable story of a woman who dared to break the conventions of her time, and paid the price.

When Mata Hari arrived in Paris she was penniless.
Soon she was feted as the most elegant woman in the city.

A dancer who shocked and delighted audiences, as a confidante and courtesan she bewitched the era’s richest and most powerful men.

But as paranoia consumed a country at war, Mata Hari’s lifestyle brought her under suspicion. In 1917 she was arrested in her hotel room on the Champs–Élysées and accused of espionage.

Told through Mata Hari's final letter, The Spy is the unforgettable story of a woman who dared to break the conventions of her time, and paid the price.

  • Published: 31 July 2017
  • ISBN: 9780143788171
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 208
  • RRP: $22.99

About the author

Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho’s life remains the primary source of inspiration for his books. He has flirted with death, escaped madness, dallied with drugs, withstood torture, experimented with magic and alchemy, studied philosophy and religion, read voraciously, lost and recovered his faith, and experienced the pain and pleasure of love. In searching for his own place in the world, he discovered answers for the challenges that everyone faces. He believes that, within ourselves, we have the necessary strength to find our own destiny.


His first novel, THE ALCHEMIST, has now sold more than 85 million copies and has been cited as an inspiration by people as diverse as Malala Yousafzai and Pharrell Williams.


Paulo Coelho’s books have sold more than 225 million copies worldwide and he is the most translated living author. He has won 115 international prizes and awards and in 2007 was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace.

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Article
Paulo Coelho on how he put himself in Mata Hari's shoes to write his newest novel

A conversation on writing, history, and more, with the author of The Spy.

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