Assange signs $A1.5m book deal

26 Dec 2010, 4:03 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Assange told Britain's Sunday Times newspaper that the money would help him defend himself against allegations of sexual assault made by two women in Sweden. (Getty Images)

Assange told Britain's Sunday Times newspaper that the money would help him defend himself against allegations of sexual assault made by two women in Sweden. (Getty Images)

WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange has signed deals for his autobiography worth more than one million pounds ($A1.57m).

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WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange has said in an interview he had signed deals for his autobiography worth more than one million pounds(($A1.57 million).

Assange told Britain's Sunday Times newspaper that the money would help him defend himself against allegations of sexual assault made by two women in Sweden.

"I don't want to write this book, but I have to," he said on Sunday. "I have already spent 200,000 pounds for legal costs and I need to defend myself and to keep WikiLeaks afloat."

The Australian said he would receive the equivalent of $A800,000 from Alfred A. Knopf, his American publisher, and a British deal with Canongate is worth about $A500,000.

Money from other markets and serialisation is expected to raise the total to 1.1 million pounds, he said.

The latest project of Assange's whistleblower website is the gradual release of tens of thousands of US diplomatic cables.

Since this latest project began Assange, who is on bail in Britain fighting a bid by Sweden to extradite him over the sex assault claims, has faced problems financing WikiLeaks.

Credit-card companies Visa and MasterCard and the internet payment firm PayPal have blocked donations to WikiLeaks, prompting Assange to label them "instruments of US foreign policy".

The Bank of America, the largest US bank, has also halted all transactions to WikiLeaks.

Washington has been infuriated by WikiLeaks as the site slowly releases the cache of about 250,000 secret US State Department cables. The US is believed to be considering how to indict Assange over the the huge leak.

Assange has been staying at a friend's country mansion in eastern England since his release from jail on December 16 on strict bail conditions that include reporting to police daily and wearing an electronic tag.

A court in London is due to hold a full hearing on the Swedish extradition request starting February 7.

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Your Comments

Wikileaks the last vestibule of Truth

Dave - from Brisbane, 3 years ago

Oh mike D i thought more of the beastie boys too!! Good to see the US news is very fair and centralist and not influenced at all by the govts. and big business! You prioritise power and money over justice and the knowing the truth about what the US govt. really wants to do in the world. Learn to read between the lines because if you don't then you won't learn anything you'll just be another sheep that the govt love, because nothing in the media is without PR and govt influence!

@ Mike D

Jason Wander - from Darwin, 3 years ago

Do you really believe that Julian Assange and his team created Wikileaks and is publishing news to get a bookdeal for one million lousy pounds? is this what you are made to believe in the United States? Think a little my dear friend and Merry Christmas!

Good on ya mate!

Jason Wander - from Darwin, 3 years ago

I'll go and buy it! Looking forward to find out more about this very clever, brilliant, dedicated, creative and disciplined mind of one of the most popular journalists of our times. I hope it will sell well...and since wikileaks is far bigger than watergate or the pentagon papers althogether, i belive it will sell very well!! A good thing this book deal, will help him to win his legal fight and keep wikileaks going. In the name of a free democratic world - GO WIKILEAKS!

My Life by Julian Assange?

SukieTawdry - from USA, 3 years ago

Aside from what we already know, is there anything about Assange's life that's even remotely interesting or worth reading about? The most striking thing about the man is how really dull he is.

Julian Assange

Betty Daly-King - from WA 6353, 3 years ago

When Hillary Clinton accuses Julian Assange of being a traitor to America she is taking USA control of Australian territory too far. We know our politicians are grovelling sycophants when in Government, irrespective of party and when they've been romanced by VIPs such as Hillary Clinton and Robert Gates' recent visit to Australia we know we have lost some territorial rights in the process but calling an Australian 'subject of the Queen' a traitor to America is a very interesting perpective!

Unknown

Mike D - from Los Angeles, 3 years ago

This Creepy jerk... now is making money.... I knew there was a reason.. all along. He's getting paid now for sure... as we knew all along, for releasing government secrets. Shame.

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