Snowden’s memoir, titled “Permanent Record,” will be published in more than 20 countries, including the US, Britain and Germany on September 17, the same day the final draft of the US Constitution was created in 1787.
“Edward Snowden, the man who risked everything to expose the US government’s system of mass surveillance, reveals for the first time the story of his life, including how he helped to build that system and what motivated him to try to bring it down,” reads a release from the publisher. Financial details regarding the book deal have not been disclosed.
Snowden, whose name became known worldwide after he leaked a treasure trove of secret documents in 2013, also announced the memoir Thursday on his Twitter account, saying in a post, “I wrote a book.” In the accompanying video message, the whistleblower expressed his regret for playing a role in the NSA’s surveillance operations.
“Everything that we do now lasts forever, not because we’d want to remember, but because we’re no longer allowed to forget,” Snowden said. “Helping to create that system is my greatest regret.”
In a release, John Sargent, CEO of Macmillan Publishers USA, stated, “Edward Snowden decided at the age of 29 to give up his entire future for the good of his country,” adding, “He displayed enormous courage in doing so, and like him or not, his is an incredible American story.”
“There is no doubt that the world is a better and more private place for his actions. Macmillan is enormously proud to publish ‘Permanent Record,’” the statement continues.
Snowden’s story was previously told in the 2014 Oscar-winning documentary “Citizenfour” and in the 2016 Oliver Stone-directed film “Snowden.”