Gregory David Roberts | Signed First Editions

About Gregory David Roberts

Gregory David Roberts is an Australian author best known for the sweeping memoir-novel Shantaram, a book inspired by his extraordinary years as a fugitive and his time living in the underworld of Bombay. Born in 1952 in Melbourne, Roberts initially pursued a conventional path in academia and activism, but a series of personal crises led him into addiction and a string of robberies that resulted in a lengthy prison sentence. His dramatic escape from custody, subsequent exile, and immersion in Mumbai’s slums became the foundation for the narrative that would later captivate millions of readers around the world. Although Shantaram is shaped by the conventions of literary memoirs, it is also firmly grounded in fiction, with Roberts blending lived experience and imaginative reconstruction to create a layered, emotionally charged account of survival, friendship, and moral conflict.

During his years in India, Roberts worked as a medic in impoverished communities, acted as a counterfeiter, joined a local mafia organisation, and ultimately served time in an Indian prison. These experiences would return with even greater philosophical depth in The Mountain Shadow, his long-awaited follow-up to Shantaram. Published in 2015, it extends the themes that have defined his writing: the search for belonging, the nature of loyalty, and the struggle to build an ethical life within systems shaped by violence and corruption. The global success of his books has secured Roberts a loyal international readership and cemented his reputation as a powerful storyteller whose work bridges memoir, adventure narrative, and spiritual reflection.

After returning to Australia, Roberts rebuilt his life away from the criminal world, devoting himself to writing, music, and charitable projects. His books have been translated into numerous languages and continue to attract collectors drawn to their cult status, sweeping scope, and the mythic quality of Roberts’s personal journey. Today, he divides his time between creative work and humanitarian interests, focusing on themes of transformation, resilience, and the possibility of redemption. His place in contemporary literature rests not only on the extraordinary circumstances of his past but also on the vividness with which he recreates the people and places that shaped him, making his work enduringly compelling to readers and collectors alike