This weeks Literary Ledger 12 to 19 December 2025

Welcome to your weekly roundup of all things books! We’re keeping it short and sweet, just five stories to keep you in the loop without overwhelming you. Think of this as your quick fix for staying connected to the book world. Apologies for no update last week, it was my birthday that weekend, and everything just got lost in the busyness. That week was hectic enough on its own, so sorry for the delay. This update is a little late too, recently I have fallen sick, and heading into the Christmas break under the weather. This post will be brief (focusing on anything beyond sleeping and getting through my temp retail job is a big ask).

So, without further ado, here we go.

I) David Walliams Dropped by HarperCollins Amid Allegations

HarperCollins UK will no longer publish books by David Walliams, the bestselling children’s author who is also known as a comedian and actor in shows like Little Britain and Come Fly with Me, as well as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent for ten years. The decision follows allegations of “inappropriate behaviour,” particularly towards women, although no details of the specific complaints have been released. The publisher has emphasised its internal processes and commitment to employee wellbeing. Walliams representatives have stated he was not informed of any complaint by HarperCollins, denies any inappropriate behaviour, and is seeking legal advice. This is not David Walliams first experience of misconduct. On Britain’s Got Talent, he left the show in 2022 after some of his off-camera remarks about contestants were leaked. The comments, directed at a female contestant, were both derogatory and sexually explicit.

II) Elliott Considers Taking Waterstones and Barnes & Noble Public

Waterstones and Barnes & Noble both belong to the very rich and influential American company Elliott Investment Management. Currently, Elliott owns both bookshops outright, but now it is considering something new: putting the bookshops on the stock market. This would allow lots of people to buy small shares of the bookshops, rather than one company owning the whole thing, a process known as an IPO (initial public offering). Reports suggest Elliott is thinking about listing the combined business either on the London Stock Exchange or in New York, with London currently the likely choice. If the IPO goes well, it could boost confidence in physical bookshops and provide Waterstones and Barnes & Noble with extra funds to grow and improve.

III) Anna Bond Appointed Managing Director of Bonnier Children’s Group

Bonnier Books UK has appointed Anna Bond as the new Managing Director of its Children’s Group. In this role, she will oversee both the children’s trade division and the Igloo craft and mass-market division. Anna has had an impressive career: she was previously Managing Director at Octopus Publishing Group and spent 17 years at Pan Macmillan, rising from Key Account Manager to Sales and Brand Director. This is a huge opportunity and very well deserved, her extensive experience and knowledge clearly make her the right person for the role.

IV) New Leadership for Simon & Schuster UK’s Adult Publishing

In other publishing promotions, Simon & Schuster UK has appointed Holly Harris as Managing Director of its Adult Division and Polly Osborn as Associate Managing Director of the same division, with both roles starting on 1 January 2026. Holly Harris has been with Simon & Schuster UK since 2020, originally joining as Publishing Director for non-fiction. Polly Osborn currently serves as Director of Publishing Strategy and Communications, overseeing marketing, publicity, design, and rights for the adult list. These appointments put Harris and Osborn in charge of Simon & Schuster UK’s entire adult publishing programme, covering both fiction and non-fiction for adult readers.

V) Penguin Random House Targeted in Latest AFL Lawsuit Over DEI

To no one’s surprise, America First Legal (AFL), the conservative public interest law firm founded in 2021 by current White House official Stephen Miller, has filed a federal civil rights complaint against Penguin Random House. The reason? An “investigation into apparent race- and sex-based discrimination in its hiring, promotion, and workforce development practices.” In other words, what they’re describing is DEI, which PRH uses throughout its employment practices.

According to AFL, the publisher separates staff data into “White” and “BIPOC” categories, tracks and publishes this information, sets hiring goals based on race, and holds leaders responsible for meeting diversity targets, practices the firm claims violate federal law. PRH is just the latest target for AFL, which has previously filed more than 100 legal actions against other “woke” companies such as Disney, Nike, and Mattel, alleging their DEI policies discriminate against white men.

If you’ve been following along, you’ll know this isn’t the first time PRH has been targeted by the political right. Trump's lawsuits have become almost routine, as banal as toddlers throwing tantrums, so much so that it’s hard to take them seriously.