Irish Booksellers Pull David Walliams Titles
David Walliams books have been withdrawn from sale by several Irish booksellers after allegations emerged that the British comedian used his status to prey on young women for sex, The Irish Times reported. Hodges Figgis on Dawson Street in Dublin removed the titles from its shelves, staff told the newspaper.
The Guardian and ITV News published a joint investigation detailing accusations from multiple women against the Little Britain star, who denies any wrongdoing. Walliams is the third bestselling children’s author on record in Ireland, with NielsenIQ BookData showing he has sold about 1.9 million copies worth €19.5 million since records began in 2002.
Retail Changes Across Major Stores
Waterstones stores across the chain appeared to make a similar move to clear the inventory. A spokeswoman for Waterstones, which owns Hodges Figgis, said: “As HarperCollins ceased supply of all David Walliams’s existing books, we are in touch with them about returning the small number of copies which remain in stock in a few of our shops in due course.”
HarperCollins severed ties with the author in December. A noticeable gap appeared among authors whose surnames begin with “W” on the children’s shelves in Dubray on Grafton Street. A selection of about 10 titles remained available at the flagship Eason store on O’Connell Street, though Eason did not respond to requests for comment.
Podcast Episode Removed From Platforms
Ryan Tubridy’s book-related podcast also appeared to have removed an episode featuring Walliams from major streaming platforms Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Walliams appeared on the first episode of The Bookshelf with Ryan Tubridy, which is sponsored by Eason, in April 2024.
It remains unclear when the episode was removed from the streaming platforms. Neither representatives for Tubridy nor Eason responded to requests for comment regarding the disappearance of the audio file.
Walliams Ranks Third in Irish Print Volume Sales
Walliams ranks behind only two other authors in Irish print volume sales history. Jeff Kinney, the US author behind the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, has sold 2.1 million print copies, while Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo, has sold 2.5 million.
The 55-year-old author achieved widespread international success with his children’s books, selling more than 60 million copies worldwide across 55 languages.
Common Questions About the Retail Changes
Why were the books removed from Irish bookshops?
Major retailers pulled the titles after HarperCollins ceased supply of the author’s existing books following a joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News containing allegations against him.
How many books has David Walliams sold in Ireland?
Sales records from NielsenIQ BookData show he has sold about 1.9 million copies in Ireland since 2002, generating €19.5 million in value.
Which retailers have stopped selling the titles?
Hodges Figgis and the Waterstones chain are returning remaining stock to the publisher, while Dubray stores show noticeable gaps on shelves where the books were previously stocked.
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