Jason Arday, a former Cambridge professor, has stated that publisher Simon & Schuster offered him 1.4 million in a pre-emptive deal to acquire his memoir titled Great and Unfortunate Things. The book recounts Arday’s life story, from his diagnosis with autism and global developmental delay to his claim of becoming the youngest Black professor at Cambridge at age 37. He did not clarify whether the figure was in pounds sterling or US dollars, and the publisher declined to comment on the amount.
Arday resigned on Wednesday night after facing mounting scrutiny regarding his academic credentials and claims. The controversy intensified following reports that over 100 passages in his PhD thesis contained similarities to an earlier thesis, and questions emerged about other claims he had made. Cambridge announced it would launch an investigation into his qualifications and career following the emergence of new information. Liverpool John Moores University, where Arday completed his PhD, cleared him of plagiarism allegations, though academics noted legitimate concerns persisted.
Despite the allegations and Arday’s resignation, Simon & Schuster stated it would proceed with publication as planned for August 11 in the US and August 27 in the UK. The publisher said it had worked closely with Arday and could attest to his professionalism throughout the publication process. Industry observers noted that withdrawing the book at this stage would be costly and logistically difficult, as copies may already be printed and shipped.
Publishing sources indicated that while 1.4 million is a substantial sum, it could be plausible if the US and UK divisions of Simon & Schuster jointly acquired worldwide rights. However, some industry figures questioned the figure, noting that memoirs of this type typically sell around 5,000 copies. The book is co-written with Eve Claxton, and questions remain about the extent of fact-checking conducted by the publisher’s editorial and legal teams.
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