Guest curator for Cheltenham Literature Festival 2026, Candice Carty-Williams, has pulled out of this year's event due to objections over its sponsorship.
Candice is the author of Queenie and the first Black female author to win Book of the Year in the British Book Awards. She was asked to guest curate the 2026 lineup and participate in a panel discussion about the politicisation of Blackness with three other prominent Black writers, but has pulled out due to the festival's relationship with The Times.
Her objections are centred around the newspaper's treatment of the late Cambridge academic, Jason Arday, who died unexpectedly earlier this August 2026 following accusations of plagiarism and intense media scrutiny over his work and achievements.
She said in a statement published on her Instagram: 'On discovery that The Times were sponsoring the festival, I have no choice but to withdraw myself and the panel from participating.
'Jason Arday's passing is a complete tragedy, and that there has been no comment from The Times is beyond disappointing.
'Apologies to all who planned to attend.'
Responding to Candice's withdrawal from the event, Cheltenham Festivals published a 'lineup update' on its own social media channels.
It said: 'We understand and respect Candice Carty-Williams' decision to withdraw from her appearance and role as guest curator at this year's Cheltenham Literature Festival.
'The death of Jason Arday is a tragedy, and our thoughts are with those who knew him or were inspired by him. We recognise the strength of feeling and the wider conversations and questions it has prompted.
'We believe robust, thoughtful discussion is essential to making progress, and we are committed to bringing people together to listen, question, challenge and learn from one another and the world around us.'
Jason Arday was publicly accused of plagiarism in a Substack blog by Nathan Cofnas, a postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University.
A media furore ensued over the accusation, as part of which The Times published an article saying its analysis found 'impossible data' and 'inconsistencies' within the professor's academic work.
After a review by Liverpool John Moores University, which awarded Jason Arday his PhD, it said his PhD stood, and Nathan Cofnas has now been suspended by Ghent University.
While the Belgian institution did not name him in the statement published on its website, it confirmed that it has launched a preliminary disciplinary investigation and suspended the staff member concerned, which Nathan Cofnas has since screenshotted and shared on Substack.
