Writing from behind bars

Jail seems to make authors out of some. A book written in prison by Sahara group chief Subrata Roy, which was released last month, is enjoying considerable success. A mail from the corporate communications team of Sahara India Pariwar claims that for a month now, Life Mantras has been among the top five bestselling non-fiction books in the country, according to Nielsen BookScan. The book, which contains anecdotes about Roy's time in jail, topped the list last week. But Roy has more to offer as a writer: Life Mantras is, in fact, the first book in his Thoughts from Tihar trilogy. Former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had penned The Discovery of India while in jail for his participation in the Quit India Movement. Napolean Bonaparte and Adolf Hitler, too, turned writers in prison.