Walliams marks 50 million sales worldwide

David Walliams has sold more than 50 million books worldwide, according to his publisher HarperCollins Children’s Books.  

Since the publication of his first novel, The Boy in the Dress, in 2008, his books have been translated into 54 languages across 34 titles, including two charity releases, Blob, for World Book Day 2017, and The Queen’s Orang-utan, for Comic Relief in 2015.  

The publisher said collectively across his titles he has celebrated 76 non-consecutive weeks at number one in the overall book charts and more than 200 non-consecutive weeks atop the children’s charts. His latest release, The World’s Worst Pets, illustrated by Adam Stower, is currently in its eighth week at the top of the children’s charts. 

Through Nielsen BookScan in the UK Walliams has sold 22.3 million print books for £132m outside lockdown weeks.

To commemorate the achievement, HarperCollins interviewed readers, teachers, and parents to create a video celebrating the impact of Walliams’ stories, especially for reluctant readers. As part of the celebrations, the publisher will be giving 50 schools a full Walliams library for children to enjoy. 

Cally Poplak, executive publisher, said: “This truly is what publishing dreams are made of and it is testament to David’s storytelling power: 50 million copies sold means millions of children delighted by books and millions of happy parents. Children who read for pleasure do better in life, and David’s hilarious and heart-warming writing, paired with lively and engaging illustrations from legendary artists Sir Quentin Blake, Tony Ross and our new exciting partnership with Adam Stower leads the way in spreading the joy of reading.”