David Walliams targets teachers with new short story collection

David Walliams’ next children’s book will be The World’s Worst Teachers, a short story collection about “splendidly sinister” pedagogues. 

The protagonists include half-man, half-monster Dr Dread, Mrs Splatt, a dinner lady who serves the most revolting food possible, and Miss Seeth, who is on a detention rampage. Each story will be illustrated by Walliams' long-time collaborator, Tony Ross. ​The £14.99 hardback will be released on 27th June.

Ann-Janine Murtagh, executive publisher at HarperCollins Children’s Books, said: “David Walliams’ new collection of stories is deliciously funny and wonderfully surreal. He is absolutely artful at creating villains that children adore to abhor, and he is a master of fantastical farce. The World’s Worst Teachers has all the classic Walliams hallmarks – fast paced, funny and with gloriously visual comedy, it will have his readers squealing with delight.”

Walliams’ first World’s Worst title was The World’s Worst Children in 2016 and two further books were published in 2017 and 2018. Sales of the three titles have exceeded 1.7 million copies in the UK, according to HarperCollins. Global sales for all his books now exceed 30 million copies and his most recent title, Fing, went to number one after three days of being on sale.

Earlier this week Walliams received the award for Children’s Fiction Book of the Year for The Ice Monster at the British Book Awards. His last 11 books have all hit the overall UK number one for a combined 45 weeks and has spent 145 weeks as the UK Children’s number one.