Cambridge 'plagiarism' professor cancels book tour events after publisher admits 'improbable triumphs'

Ex-Cambridge professor Jason Arday has cancelled his book tour events amid accusations of plagiarism and allegations of making false claims about his life.

Mr Arday, who will celebrate the US release of his book Great and Unfortunate Things on Tuesday, axed two events just days after resigning from one of Britain's top universities.

A fireside chat with the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) will no longer go ahead on September 2.

Attendees had been invited to ask Mr Arday questions about his experiences of racial inequality.

However, the event's page now reads: "This session has been cancelled at the request of the speaker."

A second event, which was set to be held at a bookshop in Edinburgh, will also be cancelled.

Customers were told: "I am writing to let you know that our event with Jason Arday on September 18 will no longer be going ahead.

Despite facing fury over allegations of plagiarism and embellishment, publisher Simon & Schuster insisted earlier this week that publication would go ahead as planned.

Simon & Schuster, which also includes the story of Mr Arday's "non-verbal childhood", described his memoir as an “unforgettable book about resilience and love”.

It also labelled the book as a "story of improbable triumphs" after Mr Arday was forced to admit he did not run 600 miles in six days.

Mr Arday was reportedly paid £1.4million by Simon & Schuster for the memoir.

The Telegraph revealed last month that Mr Arday had been accused of plagiarism.

Analysis of his PhD thesis found more than 180 passages identical or near-identical to another student's work.

In recent weeks, Mr Arday has attributed the apparent plagiarism to his autism.

Hours before his resignation, Cambridge announced a fresh investigation after the university received new information about his "academic qualifications and honorary appointments".

Mr Arday quit hours after it was revealed he had falsely claimed to have published a book.

The book, which was titled Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the Dominant Discourse, appeared in his biography for published essays and in promotional material for speaking events.

Despite being attributed to Palgrave Macmillan, no evidence has emerged that the book was ever written or published.

In a resignation letter published on August 5, Mr Arday said his decision should not be taken as accepting the "narratives" that have surrounded him.

He added: "Sadly, the years since my appointment have also been marked by an unrelenting level of public scrutiny and personal attack.

"While criticism is an inevitable part of academic life, what I have experienced has gone far beyond scholarly disagreement.

"The relentless accusations, speculation and public commentary have taken a profound toll on me and on those I love.

"I have tried to continue because I believe deeply in the values of higher education, in rigorous scholarship, and in the transformative power of universities.

"I have tried because of my students, my colleagues and the countless people who have written to tell me that my journey gave them hope."