Why did anyone think David Walliams’ kids books were a good idea?
Make the case for separating the art from the artist, and we usually think of David Bowie and his life-affirming back catalogue, Pablo Picasso and his heralding of an artistic movement, or perhaps the grizzly Charles Bukowski and his thousands of poems. Who would have expected the ethical dilemma to touch the co-creator of a show criticised for depicting characters in blackface, and his children’s books featuring a gangsta granny and a South Asian shopkeeper called Raj? When Walliams’ debut children’s book was released, I remember it struck a strange chord. Why him? Why this book? Why him? For kids? But here we are. So what should be done about David Walliams's books and TV shows following the publication of allegations of sexual misconduct against the actor, which he denies?
