Julian Assange's ghost writer breaks silence on failed autobiography

WikiLeaks founder a mercurial character who could not bear his own secrets, according to writer Andrew O'HaganThe ghostwriter who collaborated with Julian Assange on his abortive 2011 autobiography has broken his silence to describe his months working with the WikiLeaks founder, which culminated in the acrimonious collapse of one of the highest profile and most lucrative book deals of recent times.Three years after he was first introduced to the Australian, Andrew O'Hagan has now spoken out about how he worked with Assange on the book, which he said the publishers Canongate had sold in more than 40 countries for a total of US$2.5m before the deal dramatically imploded. In a lengthy, nuanced essay for the London Review of Books, a version of which he delivered in a lecture in London on Friday, O'Hagan describes working with a mercurial character who was, by turns, passionate, funny, lazy, courageous, vain, paranoid, moral and manipulative.The book deal ultimately collapsed, O'Hagan writes, because "the man who put himself in charge of disclosing the world's secrets simply couldn't bear his own. The story of his life mortified him and sent him scurrying for excuses. He didn't want to do the book. He hadn't from the beginning."Assange, he writes, was persuaded to agree to the autobiography by his lawyers who said the huge sums on offer would cover his mounting legal costs. He had initially been enthusiastic about the project, telling his ghostwriter that he "hoped to have... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-22 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Julian Assange's ghost writer breaks silence on failed autobiography"


9 Historical Novels by 20th-Century Queer Writers

Queer people have been writing historical fiction since before queerness existed—by which I mean, since before it was hammered into an antithesis to heterosexuality during the long nineteenth century. By the turn of the twentieth, queers looking to write about the past had to grapple with new,... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-09-25 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #historical fiction #electric literature


‘I didn’t think it was possible to be a novelist’: Julian Barnes on literature, loss – and his late friend Martin Amis

The Booker winning author talks about how his most recent work was inspired by Hilary Mantel, and the way the books world has changed since his debut was published more than 40 years agoToo many people have been dying lately,” Julian Barnes reflects over the phone from his home in north London.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-09-16 08:00:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #key part #north london #books world #hilary mantel #recent work #martin amis #julian barnes


Uplifting Writers and Readers: ACFW 2023 In Photos

A selection of photos recapture the 2023 American Christian Fiction Writers conference, which took place in St. Louis from August 24-27. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #christian fiction


Drew Barrymore is dropped as National Book Awards host amid writers' strike controversy

The National Book Foundation has rescinded Drew Barrymore's invitation to host the National Book Awards while her show tapes amid the Hollywood strikes. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-09-12 23:23:20 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #national book foundation #drew barrymore


‘Jesus Calling’ Author Sarah Young’s Health is ‘Rapidly Failing’

Sarah Young, author of ‘Jesus Calling—’one of the most successful devotionals of all time—is experiencing a health crisis, as confirmed by her publisher, Thomas Nelson. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #thomas nelson #successful devotionals #sarah young #jesus calling


Former 'Friends' writer says the stars were unhappy and purposely tanked jokes they didn't like

A former "Friends" writer's new memoir details her experience on the show at a time when the stars seemed unhappy, and the writers room wasn't so friendly. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-25 01:20:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #memoir #memoir details


‘A tired old show’: Friends writer claims cast deliberately ruined jokes

Patty Lin says that Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry and co forced rewrites of gags they didn’t like by performing them badlyFriends may have been a worldwide smash hit that made megastars of its cast, but – according to one of its writers – the actors weren’t always trying their... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-24 10:34:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #memoir #matthew perry #jennifer aniston


Audiobook Review: ‘The Ghost Club,’ by Kate Winkler Dawson

Kate Winkler Dawson’s audiobook original reveals the origins of a society of occult-obsessed supernaturalists that included Dickens, Doyle, Yeats and more. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-08-18 09:00:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #audiobook #audiobook review


Pidgeon Pagonis on the Urgency of Writing a Memoir as an Intersex Writer

Pidgeon and I met in the summer of 2020, the summer of sickness, and violent change. We spoke over Zoom, nearly 800 miles apart—I had been hired as a developmental editor for an intersex activist named Pidgeon Pagonis. A developmental editor is a bit of a catch-all title: we do a bit of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-17 09:20:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #memoir


Nicola Sturgeon’s ‘deeply personal and revealing’ autobiography to be published in 2025

Pan Macmillan will publish the former first minister’s as-yet-untitled memoirNicola Sturgeon’s “deeply personal and revealing” memoir will be published in 2025 by Pan Macmillan, after nine publishers bid for it at auction.After her resignation as Scotland’s first minister in February, Sturgeon... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-09 10:49:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #pan macmillan #memoir #deeply personal #nicola sturgeon #revealing memoir


July Religion Bestsellers: The Warrior Poet Dominates; Colleen Coble 'Breaks' #4

John Lovell, the self-styled Warrior Poet, shoots to the top of nonfiction listings with a Christian living title for men and Sarah Young's Jesus Calling still rings up sales. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #jesus calling #sarah young #colleen coble


Feminist Book Club Experiences Second Break-In & Needs Help to Recover

What was meant to help create a worker-owned coop in Feminist Book Club has turned into a need to recuperate from a series of office break-ins. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-08-08 14:41:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #book club


10 Books to Make You a Better Writer

Seasoned author and writing mentor Beth Kempton shares 10 books that will improve your craft. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Is Jamel Brinkley the best short-story writer of his generation?

The short stories in Jamel Brinkley's second collection, 'Witness,' don't just reveal stories of violence, gentrification and racism — they put you inside them. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-01 13:00:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #short stories #short-story writer #jamel brinkley


Yes, it can be very stressful to publish a book, and young writers need more support.

An April report by the UK-based publishing site, The Bookseller, showed that more than half of the debut authors they surveyed said the experience of publishing a book adversely affected their mental health. Further reporting from The Guardian reveals that (some) publishers have quickly... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-19 19:03:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #independent publisher #communications director #anna frame #mental health #debut authors #april report #young writers


James Patterson, Margaret Atwood among thousands of writers urging AI companies to honor copyrights

James Patterson, Suzanne Collins and Margaret Atwood are among thousands of writers endorsing an open letter from the Authors Guild urging AI companies to obtain permission before incorporating copyrighted work into their technologies Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-07-18 20:54:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #authors guild #obtain permission #open letter #writers endorsing #suzanne collins #margaret atwood #james patterson


Writers' Guild of Great Britain Publishes Report on AI

Sixty-five percent of those responding to a survey conducted by the U.K. union that represents writers in such professions as books, film, and said that they believed that the increased use of AI will reduce their income from writing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #survey conducted


Hinton Publishing Honors an Unsung Writer and Boosts New Creators

Seattle’s new indie publisher, Hinton Publishing, is a partnership between 'South Seattle Emerald' founder Marcus Harrison Green and Vertvolta Press publisher Vladimir Verano. Its mission is to amplify the voices of BIPOC, LGBTQ, disabled, and low-income authors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #indie publisher


Crikey’s silence deafening as Guy Rundle launches new book | Weekly Beast

The site hasn’t published anything by its correspondent-at-large since he was roundly condemned for a piece about Brittany Higgins. Plus: News Corp at odds with the press councilFollow our Australia news live blog for the latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-07 02:47:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #news corp #guardian australia #free app #latest updatesget #brittany higgins #free morning


Carol Higgins Clark, Mystery Writer, Is Dead at 66

She had a modest career as an actress but was best known for following in the footsteps of her mother, the best-selling author Mary Higgins Clark. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-06-16 21:20:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #best-selling author #mystery writer