Assange signs book deal with a publisher

London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has signed a book deal with a British publisher to give a "highly personal" account of his life story, it was announced on Friday.

Assange, who is currently on bail in Britain pending court proceedings over an extradition request from Sweden on assault charges, said he hoped the book would prove to be a "unifying document".

Publishers Canongate Books, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, said it had acquired the global rights for the book - apart from North America.

Canongate Books, based in Edinburgh, acquired the global rights for Assange\'s book.

The work is due to be published in Britain in April. In North America, it will be published by Alfred A. Knopf.

"In this highly personal work, I explain our global struggle to force a new relationship between the people and their governments," Assange said on Friday, according to his publishers.

"I hope this book will become one of the unifying documents of our generation," he added.

WikiLeaks, the whistleblowing organisation run by Assange, caused an international storm with the publication of confidential US state department cables at the end of last year.

Assange is due to appear in court in London next week for a technical hearing in connection with the extradition case.

He was arrested in London on December 7 on a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued by the Swedish authorities over sex offence claims made by two women.

Set free on bail Dec 16, he is staying at a country mansion in Suffolk, Britain.

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