Meet Shaun Attwood:
Shaun Attwood is a former stock-market millionaire and Ecstasy distributer turned public speaker, author and activist, who is banned from America for life. His story was featured on National Geographic Channel as an episode of Banged Up/Locked Up Abroad broadcast to tens of millions of viewers in over 40 countries.
Smuggled out of the jail and posted online as a blog, Jon’s Jail Journal, Shaun’s writing attracted international media attention to the human rights violations. Shaun is now a best-selling author of five true-crime books.
While incarcerated, Shaun was forced to reappraise his life. He read over 1000 books in just under six years. Through yoga, meditation and by studying self-help books and original texts in psychology and philosophy, he sought to better understand himself and his past behaviour. He credits books as being the lifeblood of his rehabilitation.
Shaun now tells his story to schools to put young people off drugs and crime. He campaigns against injustice via his books and blog. He has appeared on TV worldwide to talk about issues affecting prisoners’ rights.
In the last two years, Shaun has donated 15,000 books to schools and prisons. The proceeds from book sales on the night will be going towards providing free books to school kids and prisoners.