Jason Arday (9 May, 1985 – 14 August, 2026)

Jason Arday was an elegant, erudite and eloquent academic. To his admirers, especially many people of the global majority, he was the best of Britain and a cause for celebration. We took vicarious pleasure in his achievements as he cleared so many hurdles on his way to becoming, three years ago, aged 38, a professor at the University of Cambridge.

His story was remarkable. But there are some in Britain who do not cheer when black people rise beyond expectations, who would prefer pioneers like Jason Arday to remain at the margins rather than occupy space at the heart of British culture.

A month ago, Jason Arday was accused of plagiarism. Many newspapers and other media outlets published the allegations and invited detractors of Arday to give their views. They didn’t stop even after he resigned. It was an extraordinary deluge. The journalists, cultural commentators and academic critics seem to have forgotten that at the centre, weathering this storm of approbation, was a human being.

Jason Arday was a man who, especially when he was being viciously attacked, was deserving of humanity. He did not receive compassion. Instead, he was hounded unrelentingly and now he is dead. Our esteem for Jason Arday remains steadfast. The WritersMosaic editorial team sends its love to his family and friends.

Colin Grant

Colin Grant is Director of WritersMosaic and the author of six non-fiction books.