A little more than a month after announcing he was planning to keep a low public profile, the National Post reports that Conrad Black is suing Random House of Canada for defamation.

According to the story, a $1.25-million lawsuit was filed against Random House, its publisher and vice-president Anne Collins, two editors, and author Bruce Livesey for his non-fiction book Thieves of Bay Street, stating that its publication brought Black into hatred, ridicule and contempt in Canada.

There are four passages in the book that serve as the basis for the lawsuit. Livesey is not offering comment, but in a statement to the National Post, Random House says it stands behind our author and his right to report on matters of fundamental public interest.

In a case of chomping the hand that feeds you, Random House of Canada owns McClelland & Stewart, which published Black’s 2011 memoir, A Matter of Principle. This could make for an awkward evening on June 26, when Black is scheduled to appear at a sold-out event at the Toronto Reference Library to discuss the recently revised autobiography.