Kelly never wrote his life story but as Bob Bolton said he wrote or perhaps dictated to Byrne his 'Jerilderie Letter' which among other things advocated a 'Republic of Northern Victoria'. The letter 'disappeared' and its existance was even denied by officialdom for many years after Ned was hanged in 1880, but it surfaced again and its style was copied by Peter Carey to supply the 'voice' of Kelly in the novel. Carey pushes all the right buttons in the novel such as cross-dressing, hideout in a brothel, 'tart with heart of gold', implied homosexuality, etc, it was bound to sell!