To feel a bit ill about David Walliams?

[HelloYouTwo]

Apparently he’s made over £100m from his books.

There are so many better books out there than that pile of repetitive mildly racist, stereotype-laden junk that he peddles off the back of being a bit famous. I feel sorry for all the decent non-celeb authors out there.

News article if anyone interested:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/david-walliams-sitting-comfortably-in-100-million-book-club-gmp6bwm6b?shareToken=170904334320775f0850152088ce45a1

I reported that comment from Boysey.

I’m not a fan of celebs getting book deals that I personally feel their work doesn’t merit.

That doesn’t mean I think any of those things about David Walliams.

For me, the problem is the dominance of his books, particularly in supermarkets. Half a dozen different Walliams titles alongside a few Harry Potters and that’s all there is. No real opportunity for choice.

If you’re publishing a book do you go with something unknown that you think is good but you have to push it to get it selling, or do you back something ty at already has a celebrity springboard to launch it.

The point is that Walliams offers a very sweet deal to publishers. A famous name AND content that strongly appeals to kids. Best of both worlds.

There are plenty of examples of famous authors that get backing and bomb. He is not one of those.

Whether you rate his work or not, the sales figures and testimony of kids do speak for themselves.

Are there Unknown’s out there who are better? Sure. But why would a publisher ignore the gift wrapped package that Walliams presents to them? They exist to make money. They have limited time and resources to find pony’s to back.

As for Forrest, the target market would be significantly different for one thing. Also the boarding school genre has disappeared almost entirely (beyond Enid Blyton). No demand. That doesn’t mean that parent fans can’t seek them out, but they won’t be on the offer tables at Waterstones, no.

On a different point, I find it hard to understand as a PP said that I have to force them to read anything not heavily illustrated in cartoon-style with LoTs Of DiFFeRenT LettEr SiZeS aNd ShApES with doodles and around one sentence each on every page..... instead of normal books with normal type and text that fills a page, and just the odd illustration here and there.

(force my DCs to read, I mean)

I can't agree, I think I'm more of the opinion that if children are reading then that's a good thing. Even relucant readers are discerning enough to work out what they do want to read. We've read them all, but wern't blown away, more like easy reading, which has its place along with the Micheal Morpurgos etc of this world.

Harry Potter is very much boarding school genre!

I totally agree w you. Totally and utterly. I hate to see this. YET. I understand it. As an ex teacher, kids love to laugh. And like it or lump it stereotyping makes them laugh. It isnt JUST his celebrity. He does get smt about kids. The same thing that diary of a wimpy kid gets. A lot of the most beautiful kids books are really written for adults. Kids books have to be about what kids like, not what the author wants them to like.

It’s not so much the publishers as the sellers and where people are buying books isn’t it? The only place you can buy a book here is a supermarket or WHSmiths.

This is the pertinent point. We don’t particularly value books as a society and most are looking for easy wins when they pick up books with their groceries.

Publishers and writers have to cater to that world.

My kids have read most of his books but I have always felt that he just stole most of his ideas from Roald Dahl.

Harry Potter is very much boarding school genre!

Well, yes and no.

It’s a significant development from the 1950s golden age of the classic BS tale.

It’s not Angela Brazil.

Forest vs Walliams target market. How different is it? Is it harder to get children reading? I think I probably read Forest from age 9-12. Walliams I think is aimed at a younger audience but I suspect is read by older “reluctant readers” as it is not very challenging.

Creep radar - Yes! Something about him gives me the creeps too. Definitely someone I would wait for the next lift for rather than share one just with him. Not sure why either. Just creeps

I'll take the stairs with you NoNews. And while Boysey has been (ahem) outspoken it would not surprise me to learn something disadventageous to his sreputation about him one day.

However, most paedophiles and many serial killers are charm personified - which is how they manage to get away with their crimes - so maybe it will be the opposite and it will turn out that all of his royalties are going to fund an orphanage for abandoned baby otters somewhere. . . .

Are those of you who say you find him creepy sure you're not just being homophobic because he's more than a bit camp?

I thought reading the title of this thread, that he'd been found guilty of something awful.

FFS OP, what's your problem?

I think I probably read Forest from age 9-12. Walliams I think is aimed at a younger audience but I suspect is read by older “reluctant readers” as it is not very challenging.

Clear female / male divide. Walliams seems very much in the ‘engaging reluctant boys’ category, which seems to mushroomed.

And I wasn’t reading Forrest at 9. Still on the chalet school then.

This could be said about anything really. How many talented young Actors are passed over ,for the same well known face appearing in yet another film sometimes simeltanously? The reason is they are a safe bet . The same as Art works,Singers etc .The publishing house wants to earn as much as possible ,and appears to have succeeded if the 100 mil is anything to go by! Miranda,Paul McCartney,Madonna ,even Barack Obama have all done the same .Seems to be a never ending gravy train .I think for an average person to get a look in nowadays is almost impossible sadly.Its not what you know but who you know here ! Would JK Rowling have been able to break into todays celebrity filled library I wonder? .Her Detective stories for adults ,were written under a pseudonym as she felt she may not be taken seriously otherwise . This
from an outstanding writer of extraordinary talent!

I thought he’d done something heinous too

Not sold a lot of books

As for the creepy angle it’s probably his face, he can’t help his features

Which modern books do you like?

I do find walliams repetitive and I’m not a fan of his style, but I see why kids like them.

The Tom gates books are quite good imo.

My son likes humorous real world books so it’s difficult to find ‘classics’ that would work for him. What would you suggest?

He doesn’t want to try the Terry Pratchett series I loved as a kid. I can’t imagine him reading Anne or Green Gables either.

Meh - can't get worked up about this. DD loves his books - she's read lots of different authors too -

Can't say I'm bothered about him being successful - now Jeffrey Archer is another matter all together

I disagree with people only buying them for who he is. My kids love his books and haven't got a clue who he is. We live in the middle east so don't watch BGT..

I think its revolting that people are now accusing him of bloody awful things because they personally find him creepy, even though probably 99% of these people have only ever seen him on TV, which lets face it probably isn't how he is to speak to in real life.

Is he actually gay? I know he was married to a woman a while back. It used to make me go when he’d do his sleazy camp “I fancy Simon” routine at that time, like he was just taking the piss out of gay people?

Celeb leverages ability in one area, into opportunity in others.

News at 11.