Assange inks £1.1 mn deal for autobiography

Julian Assange,the founder of whistleblower WikiLeaks website has bagged a £1.1 million deal for his autobiography. The 39-year-old Assange whose site has enraged the US government by releasing hundreds of secret embassy cables,said 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,” The Sunday Times quoted him as saying. “I have already spent £200,000 for legal costs and I need to defend myself and to keep WikiLeaks afloat.” The Australian is contesting an attempt by the Swedish authorities to extradite him.

Assange said he would receive £518,000 from Alfred A Knopf,his US publisher. A British deal with Canongate is worth a further £325,000. And money from other international markets and serialisation is expected to raise the total to at least £1. 1 million.