Schools remove David Walliams books after sexual misconduct allegations

Summarised from 7 outlets · 8 reports · Updated 13 Nov, 19:08 · Archive

Schools are withdrawing children's books by David Walliams following allegations of sexual misconduct and grooming.

Schools across England have begun removing books by David Walliams from their libraries following allegations that emerged this week. A joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News named Walliams as the subject of allegations including sexual misconduct, grooming of teenagers as young as 15, and abuse of his position of power. Walliams unsuccessfully sought a High Court injunction to prevent publication of the allegations and has denied all charges, stating: "I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me."

Walliams built a hugely successful career as a children's author. His books, which include The Boy in the Dress, Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy, have sold more than 50 million copies worldwide and been translated into over 50 languages. In the UK alone, his books have sold over 26 million copies worth more than £156 million. By 2019, his works generated £100 million in revenue for his publisher HarperCollins, constituting 44 per cent of the publisher's children's titles sales that year.

School leaders say they are withdrawing the books to protect pupils. Steve Chalke, head of Oasis Academies which runs more than 50 schools, told BBC Breakfast that seeing Walliams's name or photograph on a book "can be very traumatising for some children" given the widespread media coverage of the allegations. Darren Morgan, head of Kings Road Primary School in Manchester, said that while the stories have been useful for promoting reading, "when there are these allegations it's really difficult to keep these books on the shelves".

However, school leaders want clarity from the government. Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said schools are making "difficult decisions" and called on the Department for Education to issue national guidance so that decisions are not "left open to one or two head teachers making one decision and others making a different one". The union plans to raise this issue with the Department for Education on Friday.

Responses from libraries and retailers have varied. Camden Council in north London confirmed that Walliams's children's books would not be on public display in its libraries, along with his memoir Camp David. Public libraries in Kent, Sussex and Surrey have said they will not be removing books. Major bookseller Waterstones said it is in contact with HarperCollins about returning remaining stock. Some independent bookshops say they stopped stocking Walliams long before the allegations emerged: Helen Tamblyn-Saville, owner of Wonderland Bookshop in Retford, Nottinghamshire, stopped stocking him in 2020, citing what she saw as racist, misogynist and classist themes in his work.

Some parents have also taken action. Jane Morton Driscoll, 41, from Oxfordshire, told The Independent she has bought 11 of Walliams's books from charity shops and had them pulped so they cannot be resold. Author Chloe Combi, who has written about Generation Z, argued that banning the books is not appropriate and could mean important conversations "get swept under the carpet". HarperCollins had already ceased publishing new Walliams books in December 2025 following an internal misconduct investigation, and phased out his backlist titles from shops and digital platforms in September.

How it is being reported

• Families clear homes of David Walliams books after sexual offence allegationsParents take action while independent bookshops say they had already stopped stocking his titles In Sarah’s house, David Walliams has been a bedtime staple for years. Her children, aged eight, six and four, have dressed up as his characters for World Book Day – they love the over-the-top, unusual names and illustrations. Now, all the books are going. “I’ll probably take them away and replace them with other authors,” says Sarah, a mother in west London. “Sooner rather than later, so they don’t realise.” If any of her children ask why, she will tell them “that his choices aren’t great and…The Guardian · 13 Nov, 18:55
• David Walliams books: Which London schools, libraries and bookshops are removing them?Multiple book sellers and libraries have pulled David Walliams’ titles from their shelvesEvening Standard · 13 Nov, 07:13
• POLL: Should David Walliams’ books be banned from libraries?The bestselling children's author is accused of grooming, sexual misconduct and abuse of power.Daily Express · 12 Nov, 17:32
• ‘I’m buying every David Walliams book I see in charity shops – to get them pulped’Ms Morton Driscoll has removed 11 of Walliams’ books from charity shops as a growing number of parents have vowed to bin themThe Independent · 12 Nov, 15:05
• Schools, libraries and parents face dilemma over David Walliams booksSome schools remove the children's author's books from their libraries after allegations against him.BBC News · 12 Nov, 12:42
• Schools leaders seek government advice over what they should do with David Walliams books in librariesSome schools have already begun withdrawing books by Walliams from library shelves in light of the allegationsThe Independent · 12 Nov, 12:24
• David Walliams’ books removed from schools after claims he ‘groomed teenagers’To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page David Walliams was once one of the UK’s fastest-growing children’s authors. But schools, including his own alma mater, are now considering removing his…Metro · 12 Nov, 09:45
• Schools start removing David Walliams's books as some libraries say they will keep them on their shelvesHeadteachers say they are withdrawing novels written by best-selling author David Walliams to avoid pupils feeling 'traumatised' after hearing reports about his alleged behaviour.Daily Mail · 12 Nov, 08:50

In this story: David Walliams · Steve Chalke · Oasis Academies · Department for Education · HarperCollins · The Guardian · ITV News · England

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log