The story of Amanda Knox, who was convicted and later acquitted for the murder of her roommate while studying in Italy, has made international headlines since the 24-year-old’s arrest in 2007. And now that she’s been released from Italian prison and has returned to the U.S., it’s no surprise that several publishing houses have battled for the rights to her story. This week, Knox sold her memoir for nearly $4 million to publishing house HarperCollins, the New York Times reports.
(MORE: Amanda Knox Still ‘Loves’ Italy, May Return for Parents’ Slander Trial)
During her four-year stint in prison in Perugia, Italy, Knox wrote regular diary entries, which will shape the memoir, she reportedly told publishers. It is expected to be a gripping, detailed account of her experience in Italy, which ended when an appeals court overturned the murder charge last October. Some publishing industry analysts questioned the idea of releasing an Amanda Knox memoir, but most seemed to agree it would be quite lucrative. According to the Times, Divisions of Random House, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster all submitted bids. Seven executives reportedly met with Knox before before she ended up choosing HarperCollins.
“Knox will give a full and unflinching account of the events that led to her arrest in Perugia and her struggles with the complexities of the Italian judicial system,” HarperCollins said in a statement.
Details remain murky, but the book is tentatively scheduled for an early 2013 release. Knox reportedly studied creative writing in college, but even if she were illiterate, her memoir would likely still fly off bookstore shelves.