Why do you like reading David Walliams, I ask a nine-year-old friend. Without giving it too much thought, she replies, “He does everything right in his books.”
This is high praise, coming from a middle-grade reader who has a thousand other distractions vying for her attention. What does “everything right” mean? Perhaps, it starts when you first lay eyes on one of his books — they have bright covers with whimsical and playful characters. Or maybe it’s the interesting titles (Gangsta Granny, Super Sleuth, Awful Auntie — Walliams is partial to alliteration)?
And when you open one of the books, a young character will draw you into the details and bothers of their life in a way that makes you laugh and nod along. There is also a good deal of ‘bogey-flicking’ and ‘bottom burps’ to keep the young reader enthralled.
Walliams — who will be in India from January 15 on a six-city book tour, and at The Hindu Lit Fest in Chennai on January 18 — by his own admission is an ordinary “white, middle-aged, middle-class man” who had but one dream. All he wanted was to write a couple of books and showcase them on his mantle for his guests as a conversation starter. Little did he know that his flair for writing comedy would sell 50 million copies of his books worldwide. Says the London-based author: “I never thought writing books for children would be a big part of my life or career. And, so what’s happened is all incredibly pleasing and a surprise because I had a whole other career before I started doing this. So I feel very lucky I’ve had success in more than one area.”
Since his debut with The Boy in the Dress in 2008, Walliams has written over 50 books, including novels, picture books, short story collections, and non-fiction. This year, his first murder mystery, Super Sleuth, is set to hit shelves.
So how does a self-deprecating, British television actor, writer, and comedian become a bestselling children’s author?
Let’s say it started with an idea about what would happen if a boy wore a dress to school. Drawing from personal experiences, Walliams created 12-year-old Dennis and his little world with his father, older brother John, best friend Darvesh, friendly news agent Raj, and confidante Lisa. But he also subtly wove in that it is absolutely alright to think and feel differently from those around you. “I just kept thinking about this story, about what would happen if a boy went to school dressed as a girl. How would his friends react? How would his family react? And I thought, it’s a story about a child, so maybe children would want to read it,” says Walliams.
The book was a bestseller and showed Walliams that humour could be used to talk to children about serious issues. He has since addressed poverty through Ratburger, homelessness through Mr Stink, loneliness through Billionaire Boy, bereavement through Gangsta Granny, and dementia through Grandpa’s Great Escape.
Over the years, creating diverse characters and plots — both for his books and TV shows such as Little Britain and Come Fly With Me — with his trademark humour has earned Walliams his fair share of negative publicity.
Critics of his books have also accused him of stereotyping minorities, and expressed dismay over his portrayal of female characters. Some stories like that of Brian Wong from his book The World’s Worst Children have been dropped by the publisher in recent editions. Walliams isn’t very concerned, he says, adding that it is all a part of the learning process. “If I’ve got something wrong or somebody’s not happy, I think it’s my job to listen, not to get defensive, not to get angry but just to listen, because we all have different points of view. But at the same time, you should have your own sensibility about these things too.”
Walliams recently announced a new show with fellow sketch comedy artist Matt Lucas, set to release this month.
Having carved a place for himself in children’s literature, Walliams is often hailed as a successor to Roald Dahl for his style of blending mischief and morality. “I think if I’m going to go to all the trouble of writing a book, I want there to be a point to it. It’s about being able to bring in some emotion and a theme worth exploring, but still being able to do it in a way that’s going to be an enjoyable read for the child,” he says.
But that’s not all on his agenda. He wants to write books that reluctant readers will willingly pick up and enjoy. He tailors his books to address the needs of the 8-12 age group, and has his 11-year-old son test-read what he writes. “The best kind of books, certainly for older children, are the ones they want to read with a torch under the blanket. Because I think it’s brilliant to read David Copperfield or Oliver Twist or William Shakespeare but you’re not going to start there. To turn a child into a reader, it’s important to have them begin reading what they enjoy,” he says.
Click here to register for The Hindu Lit for Life in Chennai. .
The writer is founder of Mother of Readers, a platform championing Indian children’s literature.
Published – January 10, 2025 09:30 am IST
The Hindu Sunday Magazine
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Literary Review
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The Hindu Lit For Life
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books and literature
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children
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children’s books
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