Jason Arday claimed publisher offered £1.4 million for memoir; The Guardian drops plans to serialise 'Great and Unfortunate Things'

Jason Arday, who recently resigned from his position as a professor at Cambridge University due to plagiarism allegations, has claimed that Simon & Schuster offered him £1.4 million for his upcoming memoir, Great and Unfortunate Things. The book, which details his journey to becoming the university's youngest black professor, is scheduled for release on August 11 in the United States and August 27 in the UK.¹

Despite the serious allegations against him, including questions about his academic qualifications and claims of exaggerating his achievements, Simon & Schuster has continued to support Arday. In a recent interview, he mentioned the substantial offer made by the publisher in a “pre-empt” deal, which is typically used to secure a manuscript before it goes to auction.

However, publishing sources have indicated that a memoir like Arday's would generally be expected to sell around 5,000 copies, translating to an advance of approximately £10,000 based on typical royalty rates. Arday did not clarify whether the £1.4 million figure was in pounds or dollars, and Simon & Schuster has not commented on the matter.

In a related development, The Guardian has decided to drop its plans to serialize Great and Unfortunate Things, which raises questions about the book's reception and the implications of the ongoing scrutiny surrounding Arday's past.²