Pan Macmillan and Hodder & Stoughton have both confirmed that work by the comedian and writer will be pulled, and other publishers’ books are no longer available
Two major British publishers have confirmed they have pulled Russell Brand’s books from sale after he was convicted of rape and sexual assault.
The comedian and author, 51, was found guilty at Southwark crown court on Thursday of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women. He was cleared of two further counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Pan Macmillan said it was “withdrawing Russell Brand’s books from sale following his conviction, and this process is under way now. We recognise the courage it took for those who came forward, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by his crimes.”
The publisher confirmed to the Guardian that two titles are affected: Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions, published in 2017, and Mentors: How to Help and Be Helped, published in 2019. It said it held no existing stock because the books had not been reprinted due to a lack of demand.
Pan Macmillan declined to say whether Brand or his company would receive any further royalties from the titles. It said that as a matter of course it does not comment on authors’ income.
Hodder & Stoughton also confirmed that it has withdrawn books by Brand from sale. Brand’s memoir My Booky Wook, published by Hodder, was the Christmas No 1 bestseller in 2007. HarperCollins, which published the sequel, Booky Wook 2: This Time It’s Personal, in 2010, seems to have withdrawn its two titles by Brand as well. The book no longer appears on the publisher’s website. HarperCollins has been contacted for comment.
Canongate published The Pied Piper of Hamelin, a children’s retelling of the fairytale, illustrated by Chris Riddell, in 2014; the publisher told the Guardian that the book “has been out of print and unavailable in all editions (including ebook and audio) since September 2023”. Revolution, Brand’s 2014 political manifesto – published by Century, an imprint of Penguin Random House – is also out of print, a spokesperson confirmed.
In a comment, Waterstones told the Guardian: “Following confirmation from the publishers that the books are being withdrawn from sale, we have removed title listings from our website. Only a handful of copies remain in shops, which will be returned to the publisher in due course.”
Brand’s most recent book, How to Become a Christian in Seven Days, remains available to buy. It was published in May by Tucker Carlson Books, an imprint set up by the former Fox News host with the US publisher Skyhorse. The Guardian has approached Skyhorse for comment.
The trial concerned allegations of sexual offences against six women between 1999 and 2009. Brand denied all the charges. Prosecutors described him as “ruthless” and “a sexual predator”, who treated women as a “disposable commodity”. The Metropolitan police said Brand remains under investigation over two further rape allegations.
One of Brand’s own books was used against him during the trial. While he was giving evidence, the prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC confronted him with passages from My Booky Wook in which he wrote crudely about his sexual appetite and his attitudes towards women. In one extract read to the jury, Brand said he would not have given up until he got his “birthright orgasm”.
The judge, Joel Bennathan, told Brand he would receive a “significant” prison sentence. He was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on Monday.
Brand’s relationship with Pan Macmillan had already broken down before the verdict. He signed a £575,000 contract with the publisher in 2021 for two self-help books, through his company Pablo Diablo’s Legitimate Business Firm Ltd, but neither book was ever delivered. Pan Macmillan terminated the agreement after sexual assault allegations against Brand emerged in 2023. It sued him for £220,000 in 2025.
According to court documents previously reported by the Times, Brand received £75,000 for the first book and £142,000 for the second when the contract was signed. A ghostwriter was paid £3,000 for a partial draft of the first book, written without Brand’s input.
The case was settled earlier this year for an undisclosed sum. Pan Macmillan told the Guardian it could not comment on the settlement for legal reasons.
Pan Macmillan cut ties with Brand in 2023. His agency, Tavistock Wood, which is owned by Curtis Brown, also dropped him as a client.
