Related News
WikiLeaks woes force Assange to write bio
Source: Agencies |
December 29, 2010, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WIKILEAKS founder Julian Assange says he's being forced into penning an autobiography to keep his organization from going under.
New York publishing house Alfred A. Knopf confirmed on Monday that it had struck a deal with the 39-year-old Australian to bring out his autobiography, whose publication date has yet to be determined.
Assange, speaking to The Sunday Times, said the deal would bring in more than US$1 million, with US$800,000 from Knopf and another 325,000 pounds (US$500,000) from United Kingdom publisher Canongate. But he said he only agreed to it because he was under financial pressure.
"I don't want to write this book, but I have to," he said. "I have already spent 200,000 pounds for legal costs and I need to defend myself and to keep WikiLeaks afloat."
Assange shot to worldwide prominence on the back of a series of spectacular leaks of classified US material, including the ongoing publication of some 250,000 classified State Department cables.
But with the international attention came international legal problems. The UK-bound activist is currently fighting extradition to Sweden, where he faces sex crimes charges, and has said he fears moves to indict him in the United States on espionage charges. He's previously said that most of his organization's money goes to fighting off legal and technical attacks.
Knopf spokesman Paul Bogaards declined to comment on the specific figures mentioned by Assange, but confirmed that a deal had been in place since "prior to the holidays."
Bogaards said Assange was due to deliver his manuscript sometime in 2011. The autobiography's title hasn't been made public. Knopf is an imprint of Random House Inc.
New York publishing house Alfred A. Knopf confirmed on Monday that it had struck a deal with the 39-year-old Australian to bring out his autobiography, whose publication date has yet to be determined.
Assange, speaking to The Sunday Times, said the deal would bring in more than US$1 million, with US$800,000 from Knopf and another 325,000 pounds (US$500,000) from United Kingdom publisher Canongate. But he said he only agreed to it because he was under financial pressure.
"I don't want to write this book, but I have to," he said. "I have already spent 200,000 pounds for legal costs and I need to defend myself and to keep WikiLeaks afloat."
Assange shot to worldwide prominence on the back of a series of spectacular leaks of classified US material, including the ongoing publication of some 250,000 classified State Department cables.
But with the international attention came international legal problems. The UK-bound activist is currently fighting extradition to Sweden, where he faces sex crimes charges, and has said he fears moves to indict him in the United States on espionage charges. He's previously said that most of his organization's money goes to fighting off legal and technical attacks.
Knopf spokesman Paul Bogaards declined to comment on the specific figures mentioned by Assange, but confirmed that a deal had been in place since "prior to the holidays."
Bogaards said Assange was due to deliver his manuscript sometime in 2011. The autobiography's title hasn't been made public. Knopf is an imprint of Random House Inc.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
