Who is going to replace David Walliams if anyone? Is this good news for children's literature and new authors?

[mids2019]

I may be wrong but I have a sneaky feeling books by David Walliams may not be as popular as they were once were for various reasons.

If Walliams books are quietly dropped from stores do you think publishing companies will look for a new Walliams or will there be more diverse literature than Roahl Dahl knock offs?

His books were not uniquely shite, so I don't imagine it will make any difference unfortunately!

His publisher is no longer publishing his back catalogue, so bookstores can’t stock his books, once whatever is currently in print stops being available — it’s not a matter of ‘quietly dropping’, the books just won’t be available to stock. (Though our two local indies haven’t stocked him for years.)

There's a billion children's books in Waterstones.
I am sure children will find something good to read.

His books were awful, DS has bookcases full of books and we've never bought a David Williams one, he hasn't suffered

Anyone else. He’s been creeping me out for over a decade

I agree. I just wonder if the publishing industry would be looking for new celeb authors to take on his mantle and genre or does this indicate change. Maybe about 5 years ago by my daughter's primary school teachers were scathing of him as an author but a lot of kids read the books.

The books certainly appealed to kids and got kids reading.

I don't think an author being a "celeb" actually makes much difference to children.
When the first David Walliams book came out would children actually have been aware who is was (ie not just a random writer)?
He was known then for Little Britain which isn't exactly a children's programme.

Was there a massive issue with children not reading when his first book came out (almost 20 years ago)?

Good point. His celeb status may be was more relevant to the adults? Celebs in general do seem to put out a lot of children's literature?

It's not so much about whether kids would care. It's that because of his profile and status, his publishers paid him enormous advances and spent millions on his marketing. That's money spent on a single celebrity author that isn't then available for other potential authors. It paid off - until it didn't! think the OP is asking, will they lavish the same gigantic investment on one celeb in the future, or distribute that budget across a wider range of children's authors which would give more writers a chance of success and make the publishers less vulnerable to a scandal wiping out a big chunk of their sales. I certainly hope that's the case!

His books were awful, thankfully my children didn’t rate them either after borrowing one from the library.
One of mine is an avid reader I have to go through his shelves all the time as he collects books wherever he goes!

The parents knew him and were keen to get them. They were the customer.
If he wasn’t a celeb he wouldn’t have sold anything like the numbers he did.

Surely there are enough celebrity authors who thought they could write a children's book already.

Sadly, I’m pretty confident the publishing industry will continue its hunt for celebs. Their names get the marketing and finance people excited in a way that an unknown never can.

Exactly.
Children didn't care about the name on the cover.

Well, parents are more usually the ones buying the books, and he was a usefully recognisable ‘brand’. Yes, gap in the market.

Not a fan of DW at all and I loathe most celeb authors (giovanni what’s her name and her band hubby in particular) however a few years ago I was a reading volunteer in a primary school and these books were very popular amongst kids. Diary of a Wimpy kid in particular were excellent for engaging boys in books.

DD loved those books and the films so I give them a pass 😁 especially Mrs Heffley and her mom bucks and the ladybird phone

If you look in the kids' books section in any bookshop, it's striking just how many of the books are purportedly written by celebrities. It's celebrity-written books that dominate the displays in shops like Waterstones, which must make it harder for talented but non-celebrity authors. I mean, just because you've sung in a pop group, been a radio DJ or are very good at baking cakes doesn't automatically mean you'll be a good children's author.

Totally agree. DD grew up reading a wide range of books, was never interested in David Walliams, but appears to reached adulthood as a regular reader with no ill effects.

I think it's great that other authors will get the opportunity to have their books highlighted in local stores and libraries.

@mids2019 Every colleague (primary school teacher) I know has given his books a wide berth since forever. They're formulaic and smug and so obviously disingenuous. Nobody with any sense of what quality children's literature can bring to teaching and learning would use his books in any meaningful way. We need children's authors who are brave and genuinely curious about the world and the people therein, sincere writers with integrity who don't dumb down. Children deserve amazing fiction, books which are just books and not written with movie rights or Christmas sales in mind. DW's authorship is like a caricature from one of his own books: the smarmy, smile-for-the-cameras, shiny-suited, baby-kissing public figure who, out of the spotlight, is grimed with filthy lucre and snarls something mean when Raj asks for his autograph on a till receipt.

Walliams as a brand was a selling point for adults when choosing books for children.

My kids actually rated David Badiel's kids books as the best written by a celebrity.

Ffs. He’s one (pretty crap) author! The world of publishing will be okay, I promise! 🙄🙄🙄

Do you mean a gap in the market because without a "celeb" name parents won't buy a book?
That's a bit sad 😕
Wouldn't parents look for books they used to enjoy?
There's a lot of classics and modern classics that have recently been released with absolutely beautiful covers. The book tables in Waterstones look gorgeous at the moment.

He doesn't have a mantle, there are loads of fantastic children's books and authors stocked in every bookshop I can think of