Pan Macmillan’s withdrawal is under way, while Hodder & Stoughton says it has withdrawn Brand’s books. Waterstones has removed listings and says its remaining shop copies will be returned to publishers.
Pan Macmillan is withdrawing Russell Brand’s Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions and Mentors: How to Help and Be Helped following his conviction for rape and sexual assault. The publisher said the process is under way. Hodder & Stoughton also confirmed it has withdrawn books by Brand from sale.
The moves follow the comedian and author’s conviction at Southwark crown court on 5 November 2026, for 1 count of rape and 3 counts of sexual assault involving 4 women. He was acquitted of 2 further rape counts and 1 count of attempted indecent assault.
The publishers confirmed their decisions to the Guardian. Pan Macmillan said it recognized the courage of those who came forward and expressed concern for everyone affected by Brand’s crimes.
Pan Macmillan said it held no stock of the affected books because a lack of demand had meant they were not reprinted. Hodder & Stoughton published Brand’s memoir My Booky Wook, but its withdrawal confirmation did not identify affected titles or formats.
Waterstones said it removed title listings from its website after publishers confirmed the withdrawals. Only a handful of copies remained in shops, the bookseller said, and those would be returned to the publisher in due course.
HarperCollins’ position is not confirmed. The Guardian said the publisher appeared to have withdrawn its 2 Brand titles, noting that Booky Wook 2: This Time It’s Personal no longer appeared on its website. HarperCollins had not provided a response confirming a withdrawal.
Other unavailable books have a different history. Canongate said Brand’s children’s retelling The Pied Piper of Hamelin had been out of print and unavailable in all editions, including ebook and audio, since September 2023. A spokesperson also confirmed that Revolution, his 2014 political manifesto published by Century, an imprint of Penguin Random House, is out of print; no date was given for that change.
Brand’s latest book, How to Become a Christian in Seven Days, remained available to buy in the November 6 report. It was published in May 2026 by Tucker Carlson Books, an imprint former Fox News host Tucker Carlson established with US publisher Skyhorse. The Guardian approached Skyhorse for comment.
Brand’s relationship with Pan Macmillan had broken down before the verdict. In 2021, he signed a £575,000 (about $770,000) contract through his company Pablo Diablo’s Legitimate Business Firm Ltd for 2 self-help books, neither of which was delivered. The publisher terminated the agreement after sexual assault allegations emerged in 2023, then sued Brand for £220,000 (about $290,000) in 2025.
The case was settled earlier in 2026 for an undisclosed sum. Pan Macmillan said legal reasons prevented it from discussing the settlement. It also declined to say whether Brand or his company would receive further royalties from the withdrawn titles, saying it does not ordinarily comment on authors’ income.
Brand remains in custody ahead of sentencing on 9 November 2026.
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