Posted on 10/31/06 at 12:46 PM

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Sheesh, this one came in Spanish....all of this is according to Greg Roberts, who sometimes is a bit optimistic about his time lines to date. But it sounds as if things are being discussed. I ran this through a translator program. This is recent so they are talking about announcing a director next month (Nov) and beginning filming in June or July of 07. This sounds incredibly optimistic. Time will tell. LOL


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11:34 A.M.) Gregory David Roberts presented/displayed version in Spanish of "Shantaram" Madrid. - The Australian Gregory David Roberts presented/displayed in Madrid the edition in Castilian of his book of adventures "Shantaram", bestseller autobiographical translated already to more than 30 languages. "Shantaram", that in Spanish published the Umbriel publishing house, is the second volume of a trilogy, but first that is published. Roberts is finishing writing the second, the "sequel", and it already has thought first, "prequel", also based on his own life. "Each one of books is part of a general subject, that it is the alienation", the author to DPA explained. "he prestrains It deals with the conflict. ' Shantaram' deals with the experience of exile, of being moved away of everything what it gives the identity you. And third it will be on the search of sense, identity and love ". Roberts is enchanted with the world-wide success of the book, but its goal is more spiritual than material. "it would please Me that those that read it reach the conclusion that we have more things in common that differences. The only hope to return of exile is through the love. That is the message of the book ". "All writer hopes to be successful. For me it was not so important. The first one to have of all artist is to create a masterpiece. I try it. Perhaps never he obtains it. But never I will let try it. I tried to create a book that perviva after my death. If it sells 50 copies or five million gave me equal. Clear that if you have something to say, at the most people read it, better ". She always was between his plans that the book was translated the Castilian. "For a long time that I have the desire of which the book is translated the Spanish, to the French, the German and the Italian, because they are countries with a very ample literary tradition, with a solid layer of readers who are not only going to read the book like entertainment. And it cheers much to me that is in Spanish. After all, the first novel, ' the Quijoté, were in Spanish ". Roberts (Melbourne, 1952), that traveled practically everywhere, not yet knows Latin America. "it fascinates the history to Me of Latin America. I studied all my life. I believe that people are wonderful there ". Next she will be that way. Not only presenting/displaying the edition in Spanish of its novel, but working. And she is that the adventure that not only counts "Shantaram" interested anywhere in the world to hundreds of thousands of readers. Also Hollywood threw an eye to him to the material. Johnny Depp will be the coproducing protagonist and in addition. And for that reason Roberts will pass two months in Mexico working the personage with him. In November one will announce who will be the director. And the running will begin in June or July of the year that comes. Roberts wrote a first rough draft of the script, but soon position was made the scriptwriter Eric Roth ("Munich", "The Insider", "Forrest Gump"). The most exciting moment of the book is the one that gives title him and is that in which Roberts began to be another person. It was when in India they gave the name him of "Shantaram". "Shantaram means man of La Paz of God. And I was very aggressive, a man in conflict yet. But that people saw something in me that I did not know that there was in me ".

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