Egypt uprising figure Wael Ghonim signs book deal
The man seen as a key inspiration and organiser of the protests in Egypt that ousted President Hosni Mubarak, Wael Ghonim, has signed a deal to write a book about his experiences.
The book is set to tell the inside story of the Egyptian revolution and the lessons of the Arab Spring.
Entitled Revolution 2.0, it is due to be published in January next year.
Mr Ghonim started a Facebook page that became one of the main spurs of the popular uprising against Mr Mubarak.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, which secured the rights to the book, said: "Revolution 2.0 is the story of how the revolution came about with the power of social media and internet technology."
Mr Ghonim, a Google executive, is reported to be taking a leave of absence to set up his own NGO in Egypt dedicated to fighting poverty and providing education.
Proceeds from the book will go to the organisation.
Mr Ghonim first played a role in organising the opposition through Facebook, but was later held in police custody for 12 days.
After being released, he denied he had done anything heroic at all, instead paying tribute to the young activists who had been on the streets since 25 January.
But his return to the public eye - marked by an emotional TV interview on 7 February which gripped Egyptian viewers - re-energised the movement just as it seemed to be losing steam.