Parents Question Walliams Books in Schools After HarperCollins Axes Author

While HarperCollins has ended its publishing relationship with David Walliams following harassment allegations, the company's 44 existing titles remain in print and widely available in UK schools, leaving parents and educators in an uncomfortable limbo.

The publisher dropped the bestselling children's author on Friday after an investigation into allegations he had harassed junior female staff.

But according to Deadline, HarperCollins is 'still keeping 44 books of his in print' with no indication they will be removed from circulation.

Fresh scrutiny of book content

A detailed analysis published by The Telegraph has reignited long-standing concerns about the content of Walliams' books, which have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide.

The analysis highlighted repeated instances of fat-shaming, with female characters in particular being described through their weight.

In Ratburger, stepmother Sheila is characterised as 'quite short, but she made up for it by being as wide as she was tall'.

In Grandpa's Great Escape, a character named Auntie Dhriti is described as having 'ballooned' and would need 'a crane and knock down a wall if she ever wanted to pop out'.

The Telegraph article also noted concerning portrayals of teachers and women throughout Walliams' work. In Billionaire Boy, the protagonist's mother is described as having 'been having a torrid affair with Joe's Cub Scout leader', whilst his father dates 'an endless parade of Page 3 girls'. Female teachers are frequently depicted as objects of ridicule rather than respected professionals.

According to The Bookseller, Walliams has sold 25.7 million books through NielsenIQ BookScan's Total Consumer Market for £153.3 million ( $205.2 million) since he started publishing with HarperCollins in 2008. Only JK Rowling, Julia Donaldson, and Jamie Oliver have earned more money for British booksellers in the BookScan era.

Parents already questioning books

The harassment allegations have brought renewed attention to concerns some parents had already raised about Walliams' work. On Mumsnet, one parent wrote: 'I took a similar stance. I would not buy them, told people not to buy them for my DC [dear children].'

Another commented: 'David Walliams had made me uncomfortable for a very long time. His move into the children's market is part of that.'

In July 2020, food writer and activist Jack Monroe described Walliams' books as 'sneering classist fat-shaming nonsense' and 'like Little Britain for kids' in a viral Twitter thread that sparked widespread debate about the appropriateness of his work.

Teachers face dilemma

A Mumsnet teacher forum from April 2021 revealed educators discussing the books' problematic content well before the current scandal. One teacher wrote: 'DW's books are awful. Poorly written, derivative, and full of stereotypes.'

Another revealed: 'My class teacher is reading one to our kids. She skips loads of things in it that aren't suitable.'

At his peak in 2018, Walliams' books accounted for 44% of all HarperCollins UK children's sales, generating revenue of £100 million ($134 million) by 2019. However, sales had already declined by 60% in the summer of 2025 before the harassment allegations emerged.

The sheer scale of Walliams' presence in UK schools means millions of children have encountered his work. His books have been translated into 55 languages, and many titles, including Gangsta Granny and The Boy in the Dress, have been adapted into popular BBC television specials, further embedding the characters and storylines in children's culture.

No official guidance

Despite the controversy, there has been no official guidance from education authorities or school library associations on whether Walliams' books should remain available to children. Scholastic continues to actively sell his books online to schools and parents.

The books remain fixtures in school libraries and classrooms across the UK, with popular titles including Gangsta Granny, The Boy in the Dress, Billionaire Boy, and Mr Stink having been adapted into BBC television films.

HarperCollins said in a statement: 'After careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO, HarperCollins UK has decided not to publish any new titles by David Walliams. The author is aware of this decision.'

The company emphasised it takes 'employee wellbeing extremely seriously' but declined to comment on whether existing titles would be withdrawn from schools.

Walliams strongly denies the allegations and said through a spokesperson that he had 'never been informed of any allegations raised against him by HarperCollins' and was 'not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions'.

For now, millions of Walliams' books remain in circulation, leaving individual schools and parents to decide for themselves whether his work belongs on children's bookshelves.