Great and Unfortunate Things by Jason Arday

Great and Unfortunate Things by Jason Arday with Eve Claxton — a powerful memoir of resilience, determination, and the transformative power of belief.

Diagnosed with autism and global developmental delay at the age of three, Jason Arday was told he would never speak, write, or live independently. Experts advised institutionalization. He did not speak his first word until the age of eleven and only learned to read and write at eighteen.

Raised in a council house in south London with his parents and two brothers, Arday navigated a system that struggled to understand him. Through fierce determination, the unwavering support of his family — especially his mother — and a small circle of people who believed in him, he pursued education against extraordinary odds.

Great and Unfortunate Things traces his journey from those early challenges to academic heights, including his appointment as a professor at the University of Cambridge. Without romanticizing the struggle, Arday shares the improbable triumphs, heartbreaking setbacks, and moments of resilience that defined his path.

Co-written with Eve Claxton, this is a story of perseverance, love, and the difference it makes when someone refuses to give up on you — even when the world does.