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 ]
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Are these America’s “most talented but underappreciated” writers?

On Friday, Longwood University announced the finalists for the 2022 John Dos Passos Prize, which is the oldest literary award given by a Virginia college or university, and which honors “one of America’s most talented but underappreciated writers. . . whose work offers incisive, original... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-21 14:30:02 UTC ]
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Oh good, TikTok is breaking into bookselling.

We all know books have the power to move us to tears, and that those tears have the power to move books. Last year, with the sudden rise on popularity of certain titles, the publishing industry realized that BookTok might have the ability to shape the market. One reader cries on camera about... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-18 18:44:22 UTC ]
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Desperate Writer Query Template*

Esteemed Agent, I’m seeking representation for my [300,000-word rhyming memoir / novel-in-grocery-coupons / famous literary graves calendar**] which is a cross between [Maid and Green Eggs and Ham / a bag of Halloween candy and that novel-in-texts you just sold / an apple watch and a mortuary... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2022-11-11 12:05:00 UTC ]
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WATCH: How People Are Failed by the Health Institutions Meant to Protect Them

Greenlight welcomes poet and author Emma Bolden for a virtual evening celebrating her new book, The Tiger and the Cage. This exquisitely wrought debut memoir recounts Bolden’s lifelong struggle with chronic pain and endometriosis, while speaking more broadly to anyone who has been told “it’s all... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-10 09:52:30 UTC ]
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Meet Percival Everett: 5 novels that showcase the L.A. writer's enigmatic style

Author and USC professor Percival Everett joins the Los Angeles Times Book Club on Nov. 16 to discuss "Dr. No" at the Autry Museum. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-11-08 21:41:13 UTC ]
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Four Ukrainian Writers on Literature, Solidarity, and the Future of Justice

“Words and Bullets” is a project launched by the Ukrainian independent publisher Chytomo and PEN Ukraine with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). It is a series of interviews with authors and journalists who became soldiers or volunteers following the Russian invasion of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-11-07 09:53:45 UTC ]
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Panel Mania: The Ghost of Wreckers Cove by Liniers and Angelica Del Campo

In their new graphic novel 'The Ghost of Wreckers Cove.' Eisner award-winning cartoonist Liniers and writer Angelica del Campo recreate the world of 19th century lighthouse keepers in a delightful supernatural tale about ghosts, shipwrecks, and a heroic young woman. A six-page excerpt. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Julie Powell, Food Writer Known for ‘Julie & Julia,’ Dies at 49

She documented her attempt to cook every recipe in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” in a popular blog that became a best-selling book and a hit movie. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2022-11-01 17:10:48 UTC ]
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Carmen Callil, pioneering champion of female writers, dies aged 84

Publisher who founded Virago Press began as a campaigning outsider who introduced UK readers to authors including Angela Carter and Margaret AtwoodCarmen Callil, the publisher and writer who championed female writers and transformed the canon of English literature, has died of leukemia in London... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-10-18 09:09:25 UTC ]
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How Women Writers Speculated Fictional Futures Free From Patriarchal Control

It is a truth universally acknowledged that there are as many definitions of “feminism” and “science fiction” as there are people who identify as feminists and science fiction enthusiasts—in fact, that is part of what makes both of these communities attractive to many people. However, by 1981,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

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Amazon’s upgrades to its entry-level Kindle should finally silence critics

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In Post-Trial Briefs, PRH Attorneys Say DOJ Failed to Prove Its Case Against S&S Merger

In a highly anticipated post-trial filing PRH attorneys reiterate their claim that the government manufactured a fatally flawed case to block the nearly $2.2 billion merger—and then failed to prove it. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-09-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Writer Michael Malone, 80, Dies of Pancreatic Cancer

Novelist and television script writer Michael Malone, 80, died of pancreatic cancer on August 19. Malone was one of the first established writers to be published under the Sourcebooks Landmark imprint launched in 2001. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-08-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Michael Malone, wide-ranging novelist and TV writer, dies at 79

He wrote best-selling mysteries and family sagas, and also examined homophobia and sexual assault as head writer of the soap opera "One Life to Live." Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-08-23 02:01:50 UTC ]
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Poison pens: leading writers call for overhaul of UK’s Society of Authors

Literary world riven by conflict as trade union is accused of inappropriately taking sides in culture warIt is a literary row that threatens to consume the very organisation set up to protect authors’ rights. And, in spite of the involvement of three prominent names in children’s books, it has... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2022-08-21 09:00:05 UTC ]
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Sid Jacobson, Comic Book Writer With Range, Dies at 92

His portfolio included the adventures of Richie Rich and graphic treatments of 9/11 and torture by the C.I.A. He also wrote dozens of songs. Continue reading at The New York Times

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Dollars, Cents, and Being Left With the Bill: Jillian Medoff on Breaking Up With Her Literary Agent

In 2008, after 13 years together, my literary agent and I parted ways. (To preserve her anonymity, let’s call her Michael Ovitz.) Between 1995 and 2002, Michael Ovitz sold two of my novels, including my debut, Hunger Point. By any measure, our partnership was a terrific success. Michael Ovitz... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-08-05 08:53:09 UTC ]
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In our final column for The Post, we revisit books we have savored and many more we hope to read. Continue reading at The Washington Post

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