The fact file on Gregory David Roberts.
* Born June, 1952, Melbourne, Australia
* Founder member, Anarchist People’s Liberation Army, 1969
* Union activist, Builders Labourers Federation, 1972
* Founder member, Australian Independence Movement, United Front Against Fascism, 1973
* Student Leader, Melbourne University, occupation of university Council Chambers, 1974
* Student Leader, Black Week Aboriginal Activism Movement, 1975
* Marriage break-up, loss of daughter in custody dispute, beginning of heroin addiction, 1976
* Armed robberies with toy pistol to support heroin habit, end year 1977
* Capture and imprisonment, 1978; Escape from Maximum Security Pentridge prison, 1980
* Helped by motorcycle gang, BLF Union, & revolutionaries to escape to New Zealand, 1980
* Fight conservation campaign to save sacred Maori mountain, Mount Maungahiha, 1981
* Escape from custody (twice) in New Zealand, end 1981
* Arrive in India, beginning 1982
FROM 1982 to 1990
* Six months in remote Maharashtrian village, learn to speak Marathi language
* Live in Bombay slum, establish and operate free clinic for slum dwellers
* Imprisoned in India for 4 months
* Recruited by Bombay mafia, training in currency crime, gold smuggling, passports
* Gunrunning operation to unit of mujaheddin fighters in Afghanistan
* Wounded in action, evacuated to Pakistan, recover and return to Bombay
* Appointed controller mafia forgery unit, write short stories, published in
popular series
* Passport smuggler to Nigeria, Zaire, Iraq, Iran, Mauritius, Sri Lanka
* Establish casting agency for foreign extras in Bollywood movies, act in movies
* Arrive in Germany, work as singer, establish rock band, receive recording
contract
* Manhunt by European police, escape custody in Italy & Switzerland, escape
to India
* Act in Bollywood movies & TV dramas, establish travel agency in Bombay
* Passport smuggling to Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, Nigeria, Zaire, Mauritius,
etc.
* Break with Bombay mafia council, freelance drug smuggling missions to Europe
FROM 1990 to 2004
* Captured Frankfurt, 1990, imprisoned in Preungesheim prison with terrorists,
1990-91
* Teach myself to read & write German, win concessions, extradited
to Australia, end 1991
* 2 years solitary confinement, 4 years mainstream prison in Australia,
begin novel, 1991-97
* Develop philosophical and cosmoogical model, "Resolution Theory"
* Released from prison, begin novel 1997, end parole 2002
* Sell rights Shantaram, in USA (St. Martin’s Press) & UK (TimeWarner
Books UK)
* Publish Australian edition of novel, Shantaram, August, 2003
* Tour Australia, New Zealand, Europe, UK, Ireland, Hong Kong during 2004
* Sell movie rights to Johnny Depp, Brad Grey, Graham King, Warner Brothers,
October 2004
* Sell Italian Translation rights to Neri
Pozza, October 2004
* Begin writing screenplay for movie version of Shantaram, October 2004