Julian Assange’s biography to be released without his consent

London: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s publishers will publish the ‘unauthorised first draft’ of his autobiography without his consent, despite efforts by him to cancel the book deal.

According to a report published in The Guardian, independent book publisher Canongate Books will publish Julian Assange’s autobiography on Thursday, months after the WikiLeaks founder withdrew from the million-pound contract for his memoirs.

Edinburg-based publisher says it will release Assange's ghostwritten "unauthorized autobiography" on Thursday, even though the founder of the document-leaking website tried to cancel his contract in June and later threatened to get a court order barring the book's publication, according to Canongate.

“The book is a draft Assange's ghostwriter delivered to the publisher in March after conducting more than 50 hours of interviews with the Australian WikiLeaks boss, Canongate said on Wednesday.

Assange furious over the release

According to BBC, Assange is furious that Canongate has started releasing drafts of his autobiography to the great unwashed.

Accusing the publisher of making a quick buck, the WikiLeaks founder says it is an unchecked work in progress and the publisher was profiteering from an erroneous draft.

“The publisher is acting in breach of contract and personal assurances that the draft would not be released without his permission,” said Assange.

High-profile deal worth £930,000

Reportedly worth a total of £930,000, Assange had signed a high-profile deal with the Edinburgh-based publisher and the US firm Alfred A Knopf in December. The manuscript was subsequently sold in more than 35 countries.

Assange said at the time that he believed the book would become "one of the unifying documents of our generation".

But after seeing a first draft in March, the WikiLeaks founder told his publishers that he no longer intended to write the book.

He formally withdrew from his contract on 7 June and since then the Australian and his publisher have been locked in a bitter dispute over the contract and his £500,000 advance, which he has not returned.