Great and Unfortunate Things
 US first edition cover | |
| Authors | Jason Arday & Eve Claxton |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Publication date | 11 August 2026 (US) 27 August 2026 (UK) |
| Pages | 288 |
| ISBN | 9781668085578 |
Great and Unfortunate Things: A Memoir is the autobiography of British academic and author Jason Arday, co-written with Eve Claxton. Arday was known for having been a University of Cambridge professor prior to his resignation over investigations into false autobiographical claims, academic plagiarism, and falsified research data.[1] The book was first released on 11 August 2026 in the United States. Arday died on 14 August, prior to the book's release in the United Kingdom.[2]
Publication
[edit]It was published by Simon & Schuster,[1] and was released in the US on 11 August and is scheduled for release in the UK on 27 August 2026. The published version appears to have been toned down from the draft galley that was circulated in January of the same year, and several claims have been withdrawn or scaled back.[3] Despite allegations of plagiarism within his academic work, Simon & Schuster affirmed that "no allegations of plagiarism have been made with respect to Great and Unfortunate Things".[4] Arday claimed he was paid 1.4 million for the book but did not specify whether this was in Sterling or United States dollars. Publishers noted this was unusually high for a pre-empt, but was plausible.[5] Five days before his death, Arday cancelled a tour promoting the book, which would have involved a bookshop event in Edinburgh and a speech at the University of Cambridge.[6]
Reception
[edit]The Daily Telegraph has called it "a case study in self-mythologising".[1] Publishers Weekly called it "a stirring story, straightforwardly told".[7] A review in The Times described it as "mawkish, self-aggrandising and hard to believe".[8]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Arbuthnot, Leaf; Eastham, Janet (8 August 2026). "The Jason Arday 'memoir' that now appears to be more fiction than fact". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ "Jason Arday, ex-Cambridge professor at centre of plagiarism row, found dead". BBC News. 14 August 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ Sherwin, Adam (7 August 2026). "How Jason Arday's memoir has been toned down". The i Paper. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ "Jason Arday claimed publisher offered '1.4 million' for 'unforgettable' memoir". The Independent. 7 August 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Jason Arday claimed he was paid '1.4 million' by publisher for memoir". The Guardian. 6 August 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Former Cambridge professor Jason Arday cancels book tour amid plagiarism row". The Independent. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- ↑ "Great and Unfortunate Things: A Memoir". Publishers Weekly. 7 May 2026. Retrieved 9 August 2026.
- ↑ Ditum, Sarah (6 August 2026). "Jason Arday's memoir is mawkish, self-aggrandising and hard to believe". The Times. Retrieved 7 August 2026.