Shantaram is a novel written by Australian writer Gregory David Roberts first published in 2003. Before becoming an author and charity worker, Roberts was a heroin addict and bank robber, who got caught but then escaped from Pentridge Prison and fled to India. The title, which is an Indian word means “man of peace” in English, was taken from the name Roberts given by his best friend's mother during the time he lived in India. Although the author stated that the book is actually a fictional novel, there is a debate surrounding it about how much of it is actual fact—some people refer the book as an autobiography—and which parts are invented fictions.
Read more »
