David Walliams has been honoured with a special postbox for his work as a children’s author on World Book Day.
The postbox is one of four decorated by Royal Mail in honour of some of Britain’s most popular children’s authors.
C.S. Lewis, Judith Kerr and Frances Hodgson Burnett have also been celebrated with specially-decorated postboxes, each adorned in quotes from some of their best-loved works, across the UK in locations significant to them.
Walliams’s influence as a children’s author has been highlighted with a bright yellow postbox outside London’s Natural History Museum, which is featured in his book The Ice Monster.
Walliams, 47, said: “I am honoured that my books are featured on this special postbox.
“I am an advocate of letter writing. Letters are so much more meaningful than a text or email. So I hope this encourages children to use their local postbox.”
The postbox was created in collaboration with his publisher, HarperCollins Children’s Books.
The Britain’s Got Talent judge and former Little Britain star is recognised as one of the most popular children’s authors of a generation.
His books, including 2008 debut The Boy In The Dress, and follow-ups Mr Stink, Gangsta Granny and Ratburger, have topped best-seller lists.
Lewis, whose most famous work is The Chronicles Of Narnia series of fantasy novels, has a postbox situated in Belfast, where he was born.
Little Lord Fauntleroy and The Secret Garden author Hodgson Burnett’s postbox is in Manchester, where she was born, and writer and illustrator Kerr, known for the Mog series of books and The Tiger Who Came To Tea, has a postbox situated in Barnes in London, where she currently lives.
Mark Street, head of campaigns at Royal Mail, said: “As one of the guardians of the written word, we relish the opportunity to celebrate the work of some of Britain’s most treasured writers.
“With such a rich history of children’s literature, it seems only fitting that this work is honoured on some of our iconic postboxes.”
The unveiling of the postboxes comes after research carried out by Royal Mail about the nation’s love affair with physical books showed that more than half (56%) of UK adults expressed an intent to read more in 2019.
The research also found that 10% of readers claim to exclusively use e-readers.