By Tony O’ Reilly-
The posthumous memoir of Professor Jason Arday, Great and Unfortunate Things, has been published in the UK, offering an account of a remarkable life shaped by autism, adversity and an extraordinary rise through academia.
Published by Simon & Schuster on Thursday, the memoir recounts Arday’s journey from a childhood in which he clams to have been non-verbal and unable to read until his late teens, to becoming the youngest Black professor in the history of the University of Cambridge. His story had long been regarded as an example of resilience and achievement, particularly for his work promoting greater access to education, tackling racial inequality and championing autism and neurodiversity.
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However, Arday’s account of his achievements became the subject of scrutiny following allegations of plagiarism, and apparent refuted claims by his school mates that he was indeed verbal, and in particular, humorous, contrary to his written claims. More than 100 passages in his 2015 PhD thesis were alleged to be identical or nearly identical to earlier material.
Other claims he was said to have made, included that he ran 30 marathons in 35 days and, separately, 600 miles in six days. The late former Cambridge professor also said he had raised £5–5.5 million for charity through running challenges, although when questioned about it, he clarified that the figure involved fundraising collectives over roughly two decades,
The publication of his memoir comes at a deeply difficult moment for Arday’s family. The 41-year-old academic was found unresponsive at his south London flat by family members following intense media scrutiny over allegations concerning aspects of his academic career. Among the claims were allegations that he had plagiarised his PhD thesis and other research.
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An earlier investigation by Liverpool John Moores University, where Arday completed his doctoral thesis, cleared him of wrongdoing. Nevertheless, in August, the University of Cambridge announced that it would investigate the circumstances surrounding his appointment. Arday also faced wider allegations challenging claims he had made about aspects of his personal achievements.
His death has since become the subject of an investigation. At an inquest on Wednesday, the court heard that Arday had died an “unnatural death”, adding another layer of uncertainty and grief to a story that had already attracted considerable public attention.
Despite the controversy surrounding the final period of his life, Arday had continued to have significant public support. Sir Patrick Vernon, a prominent campaigner who played a leading role in establishing a national Windrush Day, launched a fundraising appeal to support Arday’s family after his death. The campaign ultimately raised £224,474 from more than 7,900 donations before being closed at the family’s request.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Arday’s family said they had been “deeply moved” by the response, describing the donations as evidence of the affection, respect and admiration in which he was held by many people.
“Jason devoted his life and career to advancing education, widening participation, tackling race and inequality, and championing autism and neurodiversity,” the family said.
The memoir itself is being published with the full support of Arday’s family and, according to Simon & Schuster, in accordance with his wishes. The family said Arday had been clear until the end that he wanted his story to be published.
“There has been so much that has been written and said about our beloved brother, son, father, partner and uncle, mostly by people who don’t know the truth of what he experienced, and we experienced as a family, or what an extraordinary person he was,” they said.
The release therefore arrives as more than the publication of an academic memoir. For his family, it represents an opportunity for Arday’s own account and experiences to be heard against a backdrop of allegations, investigations and intense public scrutiny.
Fuel
The controversy surrounding Arday was initially fuelled by accusations of plagiarism made by postdoctoral researcher Nathan Cofnas. Cofnas, who has advocated the controversial and widely criticised theory of “race realism”, was suspended from his position at Ghent University last week pending a preliminary disciplinary investigation. The university has said Arday’s death should prompt reflection and reiterated its opposition to discrimination, hatred and racism.
Before the controversy that surrounded the final months of his life, Arday had built a public profile extending well beyond academia. He had carried the Olympic flame ahead of the London 2012 Olympics and became known for his advocacy on education, social mobility, racial inequality and neurodiversity.
His family’s decision to publish Great and Unfortunate Things now places his own narrative at the centre of the conversation. The memoir cannot resolve the investigations or unanswered questions surrounding his death and academic career, but it offers a personal account of the experiences that shaped a man whose life took him from a non-verbal childhood and late literacy to the historic heights of British academia.
The book’s publication is consequently both a celebration of an extraordinary journey and a poignant reminder of a life whose final chapter remains the subject of scrutiny. UK Press regulator, Ipso was asked by Dawn Butler to investigate tens of thousands of complaints against the British press for allegedly mounting a campaign of harassment against the former lecturer, after it was discovered that 249 articles were written about Arday in 22 days.
The regulator last week annouced that it was conducting a review of the complaints, but told The Eye Of media that it was unable to provide a time scale within which it would publicly address those complaints.
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