Gregory David Roberts is an Australian writer and artist, best known for his best-selling novel Shantaram. Born in June 1952, Roberts overcame a debilitating heroin addiction and a criminal past to establish a successful writing career. After a difficult divorce and losing custody of his daughter, he turned to drugs and crime to support his habit. In 1978, he was sentenced to 19 years in prison for armed robbery but escaped after two years. He then spent eight years in Bombay, India, as a fugitive, where he established a free medical clinic for slum-dwellers and became involved in criminal activities. Recaptured and extradited to Australia, he served out his sentence, which included two years in solitary confinement. This period became a turning point in his life and inspired him to write Shantaram.
After leaving prison, Roberts returned to Mumbai and set up a personal initiative to assist the city's poor with lifesaving healthcare. He became an in-demand public speaker and philosopher, receiving thousands of messages from readers saying the book had been "life changing". In 2014, he went "off-grid" to look after his sick parents and pursue a spiritual path. In 2019, he established a multimedia company, Empathy Arts, and released his debut album Love&Faith, which was recorded at Geejam Studios in Jamaica. The same year saw the release of his first non-fiction book The Spiritual Path. Roberts' life-affirming messages on social media, of taking personal responsibility, never giving up, living a purposeful life, and embracing our common humanity, have resonated with people across the world. In October 2022, the TV series Shantaram based on the book, aired on AppleTV+. Roberts currently resides in Jamaica, where he continues to write, produce music, and create art.