Schools and libraries pull David Walliams books amid claims
Schools and libraries across England are removing David Walliams books from their shelves after sexual misconduct allegations against the bestselling children's author, which he denies.
Camden Council in north London has put his books into storage in its public libraries, while academy trusts running more than 100 schools between them have told headteachers to take his titles off library shelves for now. The moves follow a joint investigation by the Guardian and ITV News, published on Tuesday, in which several women accused Walliams of sexual misconduct.
One woman described an alleged encounter with Walliams when she was 15 as a sexual assault, while others said he groomed them when they were teenagers. Walliams, 55, has denied any wrongdoing and said he is not a sexual predator and has not broken the law.
School trusts act while guidance is sought
The Oasis Charitable Trust, which runs 59 schools across England, has issued guidance to headteachers to temporarily remove Walliams books from school libraries. Its founder, Steve Chalke, said the trust acted to protect children while the allegations are unresolved. GLF Schools, which runs 43 schools, has taken the same step.
The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) has called on the government to issue national guidance so headteachers do not have to decide alone. Its general secretary, Pepe Di'Iasio, said headteachers were already making difficult decisions about whether the books should remain on shelves, and that the union would raise the issue with the Department for Education on Friday.
Darren Morgan, head of Kings Road Primary School in Manchester, told BBC Breakfast he had decided to remove Walliams books from his school.
Libraries split over whether to keep the books
Councils have taken different approaches in their public libraries. Telford and Wrekin Council has removed all Walliams books and audiobooks from its library catalogues, while Camden has placed its copies in storage.
Other councils have decided to keep them. Kent County Council said it had no plans to remove his titles, Essex County Council said lawful books should remain available, and Wokingham Borough Council said its libraries would keep the books unless their content was illegal. The librarians' body CILIP said decisions about stocking books are made by local councils.
Publishers and retailers distance themselves
Walliams was named after the High Court refused his application for an injunction to prevent reporting of the allegations. He is one of Britain's most successful children's authors, with more than 50 million copies of books including Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy sold around the world.
His publisher, HarperCollins, ended its working relationship with him in December 2025 after an internal investigation, and his literary agent has also dropped him. Retailers including Waterstones, TG Jones and The Works say they will no longer sell his books. The BBC said it was in the process of removing programmes including Little Britain, and Sky has dropped plans to distribute a film based on his book Fing in the UK and Ireland in early 2027.
Women and equalities minister Bridget Phillipson said the government should look at going further in restricting the use of non-disclosure agreements, following the allegations. The Department for Education has been asked for comment on guidance for schools.
