David Walliams, Dermot O’Leary, Rochelle Humes and other celebrity authors are too dominant in Britain’s bookshops and children need to see ‘a huge sweep of books’, says award-winning author Katherine Rundell
David Walliams, Dermot O’Leary, Rochelle Humes and other celebrity authors are too dominant in Britain’s bookshops, where children need to see ‘a huge sweep of books’, an award-winning author has claimed.
Katherine Rundell said research data has proven that providing a wide range of options is the best way to interest children in reading.
Literary figures have previously raised concerns about the stranglehold A-list showbiz names appear to have over the market.
The celebrity authors often earn lucrative advances and see their books heavily promoted in expensive marketing campaigns and given prominent platforms in bookstores – perks enjoyed by precious few other children’s writers.
Rundell, who won the Waterstones Book of the Year award for her children’s fantasy novel, Impossible Creatures, told the Times: ‘I think that what children need most urgently is access to a huge sweep of books and our current eco-system of children’s fiction means what is readily available does tend to be the Walliams of the world.’
David Walliams (left) and Dermot O’Leary (right) with their children’s books
Stars like Rochelle Humes (left) and Leah Williamson (right) are also getting in on the act
Cat Deeley (left) and Natalie Portman (right) have also eyed up the idea to build on their success on screen
Tom Fletcher (left) and Fearne Cotton (right) have also released children’s fiction
She added that they need ‘access to a wide variety of books so that they can see characters like themselves; it is not a mystery how to get kids to read, there is really good evidence of how to make a kid fall wildly in love with books.
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‘It just takes a little bit of shifting of our current marketplace from the way that it currently works.’
Walliams in particular has enjoyed huge success in the field, having first penned The Boy In The Dress in 2008, followed by 14 more children’s novels including Mr Stink, Ratburger and Billionaire Boy, which have sold more than 35 million copies globally.
At more than £100 million, his book earnings outweigh his showbusiness income and when WH Smith listed its most popular children’s books of 2020, three of his were in the top ten, beating even JK Rowling.
His output is prodigious, publishing at least two books a year, including picture books for younger children and short story collections.
Seven novels have been adapted for TV – which he also produces and stars in – while five have been turned into stage shows.
His success represents a growing trend of bookshop shelves increasingly being filled by novels written by famous names – with experts pointing out how a little literature, often written with a ghostwriter, can be a lucrative sideline for stars in every field.
Katherine Rundell said research data has proven that providing a wide range of options is the best way to interest children in reading
As well as Walliams, O’Leary and Humes, the likes of Leah Williamson, Fearne Cotton, Cat Deeley, Natalie Portman and Tom Fletcher have all dipped their toes into the children’s book market, along with the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, who’s been writing literature for children for decades.
Pop culture and branding expert Nick Ede told MailOnline last month writing children’s fiction had become a status symbol for celebrities who feel it is a ‘savvy way to make money, maintain fame and secure years of royalties’.
He added that books can also provide many off-shoots for further business, including theatrical interpretations, animations, audio books and merchandise.
Mr Ede also described it as a way of building a new fan base and ‘building a legacy’, comparing the success of the likes of Walliams to Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl, who still have their intellectual properties used for modern adaptions.
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