Parents burn and throw away David Walliams's books as schools remove them from shelves

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Headteachers say they are withdrawing novels written by best-selling author David Walliams to avoid pupils feeling 'traumatised' after hearing reports about his alleged behaviour.

Published: 08:50 GMT, 12 November 2026 | Updated: 09:59 GMT, 12 November 2026

Schools are removing books by David Walliams from shelves after he was accused of sexual misconduct and abusing his power to groom teenagers as young as 15.

Headteachers say they are withdrawing novels written by the best-selling author to avoid pupils feeling 'traumatised' after hearing reports about his alleged behaviour.

But school leaders want clarity from the Department for Education on whether the books should be withdrawn, given the decision currently rests with individual schools.

Meanwhile public libraries in counties including Kent, Sussex and Surrey have said they will not be removing the books – while others in London have already put them in storage.

Walliams had a hugely successful career as a children's author, releasing his debut novel The Boy in the Dress, which was illustrated by Quentin Blake, in 2008.

Another hit was Gangsta Granny, which was turned into a BBC TV special in 2013, followed by a sequel starring Sheridan Smith in 2022 and later adapted for the stage.

Walliams wrote more than 40 books, and in 2018 they constituted 44 per cent of all sales of HarperCollins children's titles – generating a revenue of £100million by 2019.

But Steve Chalke, founder of the Oasis Charitable Trust, which runs 58 schools in England, said he wanted to avoid children becoming upset by seeing the books.

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