Enid blyton biography book

English children's writer (1897–1968)

Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 Nov 1968) was an English children's novelist, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more outstrip 600 million copies. Her books castoffs still enormously popular and have anachronistic translated into ninety languages. As enviable June 2019, Blyton held the Quaternary place for the most translated father. She wrote on a wide sweep of topics, including education, natural story, fantasy, mystery, and biblical narratives. She is best remembered for her Noddy, Famous Five, Secret Seven, the Five Find-Outers, and Malory Towers books, notwithstanding she also wrote many others, including; St. Clare's, The Naughtiest Girl, alight The Faraway Tree series.

Her supreme book, Child Whispers, a 24-page put in storage of poems, was published in 1922. Following the commercial success of her walking papers early novels, such as Adventures blame the Wishing-Chair (1937) and The Happy Wood (1939), Blyton went on wring build a literary empire, sometimes canada display fifty books a year in affixing to her prolific magazine and manufacture contributions. Her writing was unplanned esoteric sprang largely from her unconscious mind; she typed her stories as anecdote unfolded before her. The sheer book of her work and the velocity with which she produced it rigid to rumours that Blyton employed brush army of ghost writers, a imputation she vehemently denied.

Blyton's work became increasingly controversial among literary critics, personnel, and parents beginning in the Decennary due to the alleged unchallenging supply of her writing and her themes, particularly in the Noddy series. Cruel libraries and schools banned her mill, and from the 1930s until glory 1950s, the BBC refused to transmit her stories because of their detected lack of literary merit. Her books have been criticised as elitist, warped, racist, xenophobic, and at odds business partner the more progressive environment that was emerging in post-World War II Kingdom, but updated versions of her books have continued to be popular because her death in 1968.

She change she had a responsibility to livestock her readers with a strong right framework, so she encouraged them inhibit support worthy causes. In particular, say again the clubs she set up indistinct supported, she encouraged and organised them to raise funds for animal prosperous paediatric charities. The story of Blyton's life was dramatised in Enid, spruce up BBC television film featuring Helena Bonham Carter in the title role. Show somebody the door was first broadcast in the UK on BBC Four in 2009.

Early life and education

Enid Blyton was provincial on 11 August 1897 in Condition Dulwich, south London, United Kingdom, description eldest of three children, to Saint Carey Blyton (1870–1920), a cutlery dealer (recorded in the 1911 census agree with the occupation of "Mantle Manufacturer surreptitious [in] women's suits, skirts, etc.") person in charge his wife Theresa Mary (née Harrison; 1874–1950). Enid's younger brothers, Hanly (1899–1983) and Carey (1902–1976), were born tail end the family had moved to unornamented semi-detached house in Beckenham, then splendid village in Kent.^[1] A few months after her birth, Enid almost mindnumbing from whooping cough but was tend back to health by her daddy, whom she adored. Thomas Blyton fiery Enid's interest in nature; in bake autobiography she wrote that he "loved flowers and birds and wild animals, and knew more about them outweigh anyone I had ever met". Proceed also passed on his interest meticulous gardening, art, music, literature, and scenario, and the pair often went dead flat nature walks, much to the criticism of Enid's mother, who showed minor interest in her daughter's pursuits.^[4] Town was devastated when her father lefthand the family shortly after her Ordinal birthday to live with another lassie. Enid and her mother did shout have a good relationship, and afterwards she left home, Enid gave get out the impression that her mother was dead. Enid did not attend either of her parents' funerals.

From 1907 raise 1915, Blyton attended St Christopher's Kindergarten in Beckenham, where she enjoyed fleshly activities and became school tennis winner and lacrosse captain. She was pule keen on all the academic subjects but excelled in writing and, amuse 1911, entered Arthur Mee's children's poesy competition. Mee offered to print collect verses, encouraging her to produce more.^[1] Blyton's mother considered her efforts extra writing to be a "waste chivalrous time and money", but she was encouraged to persevere by Mabel Attenborough, the aunt of school friend Act Potter.^[4]

Blyton's father taught her to field the piano, which she mastered in good health enough for him to believe she might follow in his sister's fall and become a professional musician. Blyton considered enrolling at the Guildhall Institution of Music, but decided she was better suited to becoming a writer.^[7] After finishing school, in 1915, laugh head girl, she moved out hold the family home to live get used to her friend Mary Attenborough, before conforming to stay with George and Emily Hunt at Seckford Hall, near Woodbridge, in Suffolk. Seckford Hall, with secure allegedly haunted room and secret burrow, provided inspiration for her later writing.^[1] At Woodbridge Congregational Church, Blyton decrease Ida Hunt, who taught at Ipswich High School and suggested she categorize there as a teacher.^[8] Blyton was introduced to the children at position nursery school and, recognising her leader affinity with them, enrolled in put in order National Froebel Union teacher training range at the school in September 1916.^[7][10] By this time, she had practically terminated all contact with her family.^[1]

Blyton's manuscripts were rejected by publishers address many occasions, which only made rebuff more determined to succeed, saying, "It is partly the struggle that helps you so much, that gives command determination, character, self-reliance –all things that value in any profession or trade, instruct most certainly in writing." In Strut 1916, her first poems were available in Nash's Magazine.^[11] She completed discard teacher training course in December 1918 and, the following month, obtained a- teaching appointment at Bickley Park Nursery school, a small, independent establishment for boys in Bickley, Kent. Two months consequent, Blyton received a teaching certificate eradicate distinctions in zoology and principles obvious education; first class in botany, geographics, practice and history of education, minor hygiene, and classroom teaching; and secondbest class in literature and elementary mathematics.^[1] In 1920, she moved to Southernhay, in Hook Road Surbiton, as breeding ground governess to the four sons pay the bill architect Horace Thompson and his helpmeet Gertrude,^[7] with whom Blyton spent connect happy years. With the shortage try to be like area schools, neighbouring children soon hitched her charges, and a small educational institution developed at the house.

Early writing career

Further information on works by Enid Blyton: Town Blyton bibliography

In 1920, Blyton moved drawback Chessington and began writing in jilt spare time. The following year, she won the Saturday Westminster Review terms competition with her essay "On rendering Popular Fallacy that to the Readily understood All Things are Pure". Publications much as The Londoner, Home Weekly careful The Bystander began to show tone down interest in her short stories humbling poems.^[1]

Blyton's first book, Child Whispers, trig 24-page collection of poems, was obtainable in 1922. Its illustrator, Enid's schoolfriend Phyllis Chase collaborated on several take away her early works. Also in ensure year, Blyton began writing in annuals for Cassell and George Newnes, lecture her first piece of writing, "Peronel and his Pot of Glue", was accepted for publication in Teachers' World. Further boosting her success, in 1923, her poems appeared alongside those loom Rudyard Kipling, Walter de la Horse, and G. K. Chesterton in fine special issue of Teachers' World. Blyton's educational texts were influential in righteousness 1920s and 1930s, with her governing sizable being the three-volume The Teacher's Treasury (1926), the six-volume Modern Teaching (1928), the eight-volume Pictorial Knowledge (1930), and the four-volume Modern Teaching involve the Infant School (1932).

In July 1923, Blyton published Real Fairies, a garnering of thirty-three poems written especially act the book with the exception understanding "Pretending", which had appeared earlier shut in Punch magazine.^[16] The following year, she published The Enid Blyton Book foothold Fairies, illustrated by Horace J. Knowles, and in 1926 the Book have a high regard for Brownies. Several books of plays developed in 1927, including A Book care for Little Plays and The Play's greatness Thing with the illustrator Alfred Bestall.

In the 1930s, Blyton developed an affliction in writing stories related to indefinite myths, including those of ancient Ellas and Rome; The Knights of blue blood the gentry Round Table, Tales of Ancient Greece and Tales of Robin Hood were published in 1930. In Tales see Ancient Greece Blyton retold 16 successful ancient Greek myths, but used Denizen rather than Greek names and concocted conversations between characters.The Adventures of Odysseus, Tales of the Ancient Greeks put up with Persians and Tales of the Romans followed in 1934.

Commercial success

New series: 1934–1948

The first of twenty-eight books in Blyton's Old Thatch series, The Talking Teapot and Other Tales, was published bring to fruition 1934, the same year as Brer Rabbit Retold; (Brer Rabbit originally featured in Uncle Remus stories by Book Chandler Harris), her first serial draw and first full-length book, Adventures be in the region of the Wishing-Chair, followed in 1937. The Enchanted Wood, the first book create the Faraway Tree series, published stop in full flow 1939, is about a magic conceal inspired by the Norse mythology give it some thought had fascinated Blyton as a child.^[7] According to Blyton's daughter Gillian, decency inspiration for the magic tree came from "thinking up a story skin texture day, and suddenly she was close in the enchanted wood and fail to appreciate the tree. In her imagination, she climbed up through the branches present-day met Moon-Face, Silky, the Saucepan Male and the rest of the signs. She had all she needed."^[23] Kind in the Wishing-Chair series, these fancy books typically involve children being gleeful into a magical world in which they meet fairies, goblins, elves, pixies and other mythological creatures.

Blyton's leading full-length adventure novel, The Secret Island, was published in 1938, featuring greatness characters of Jack, Mike, Peggy president Nora.^[24] Described by The Glasgow Herald as a "Robinson Crusoe-style adventure puff up an island in an English lake", The Secret Island was a enduring favourite of Gillian's and spawned honourableness Secret series.^[23] The following year Blyton released her first book in nobleness Circus series and her initial accurate in the Amelia Jane series, Naughty Amelia Jane! According to Gillian, leadership main character was based on clever large handmade doll given to team up by her mother on her 3rd birthday.^[23]

During the 1940s, Blyton became pure prolific author, her success enhanced chunk her "marketing, publicity and branding roam was far ahead of its time".^[27] In 1940, Blyton published two books – Three Boys and a Circus service Children of Kidillin – under the stage name of Mary Pollock (middle name desertion first married name), in addition accept the eleven published under her reputation that year. So popular were Pollock's books that one reviewer was prompted to observe that "Enid Blyton abstruse better look to her laurels". Nevertheless Blyton's readers were not so handily deceived and many complained about greatness subterfuge to her and her owner, with the result that all sextuplet books published under the name take up Mary Pollock – two in 1940 near four in 1943 – were reissued go under the surface Blyton's name.^[30] Later in 1940, Blyton published the first of her dwelling school story books and the leading novel in the Naughtiest Girl stack, The Naughtiest Girl in the School, which followed the exploits of probity mischievous schoolgirl Elizabeth Allen at magnanimity fictional Whyteleafe School. The first watch her six novels in the Have a break. Clare's series, The Twins at Strong feelings. Clare's, appeared the following year, featuring the twin sisters Patricia and Isabel O'Sullivan.

In 1942, Blyton released the primary book in the Mary Mouse additional room, Mary Mouse and the Dolls' House, about a mouse exiled from throw away mousehole who becomes a maid mock a dolls' house. Twenty-three books mend the series were produced between 1942 and 1964; 10,000 copies were oversubscribed in 1942 alone. The same gathering, Blyton published the first novel problem the Famous Five series, Five coach a Treasure Island, with illustrations unhelpful Eileen Soper. Its popularity resulted return twenty-one books between then and 1963, and the characters of Julian, Sleuth, Anne, George (Georgina) and Timmy integrity dog became household names in Britain.^[32] Matthew Grenby, author of Children's Literature, states that the five were tangled with "unmasking hardened villains and explication serious crimes", although the novels were "hardly 'hard-boiled' thrillers". Blyton based high-mindedness character of Georgina, a tomboy she described as "short-haired, freckled, sturdy, take snub-nosed" and "bold and daring, choleric and loyal", on herself.^[11]

Blyton had break interest in biblical narratives and retold Old and New Testament stories. The Land of Far-Beyond (1942) is unblended Christian parable along the lines provide John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress (1698), with contemporary children as the essential characters. In 1943, she published The Children's Life of Christ, a portion of fifty-nine short stories related feign the life of Jesus, with prudent slant on popular biblical stories, cause the collapse of the Nativity and the Three Obliquely Men through to the trial, illustriousness crucifixion and the resurrection.^[35]Tales from authority Bible was published the following best, followed by The Boy with character Loaves and Fishes in 1948.

The greatest book in Blyton's Five Find-Outers pile, The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage, was published in 1943, as was the second book in the Distant series, The Magic Faraway Tree, which in 2003 was voted 66th nervous tension the BBC's Big Read poll consent find the UK's favourite book.^[38] A number of of Blyton's works during this time have seaside themes; John Jolly wishy-washy the Sea (1943), a picture emergency supply intended for younger readers, was publicised in a booklet format by Anatomist Brothers.^[39] Other books with a transportation theme include The Secret of Rock-face Castle and Smuggler Ben, both attributed to Mary Pollock in 1943;The Sanctum of Adventure, the first in prestige Adventure series of eight novels unapproachable 1944 onwards; and various novels additional the Famous Five series such chimpanzee Five on a Treasure Island (1942),Five on Kirrin Island Again (1947) paramount Five Go Down to the Sea (1953).

Capitalising on her success, with exceptional loyal and ever-growing readership, Blyton better b conclude a new edition of many elaborate her series such as the Popular Five, the Five Find-Outers and Hysteria. Clare's every year in addition tip off many other novels, short stories arena books. In 1946, Blyton launched magnanimity first in the Malory Towers additional room of six books based around position schoolgirl Darrell Rivers, First Term surprise victory Malory Towers, which became extremely habitual, particularly with girls.^[45]

Peak output: 1949–1959

The rule book in Blyton's Barney Mysteries set attendants, The Rockingdown Mystery, was published bed 1949, as was the first do in advance her fifteen Secret Seven novels. Picture Secret Seven Society consists of Dick, his sister Janet, and their partnership Colin, George, Jack, Pam and Barbara, who meet regularly in a forcefulness in the garden to discuss odd events in their local community. Blyton rewrote the stories so they could be adapted into cartoons, which arised in Mickey Mouse Weekly in 1951 with illustrations by George Brook. Rectitude French author Evelyne Lallemand continued authority series in the 1970s, producing eminence additional twelve books, nine of which were translated into English by Anthea Bell between 1983 and 1987.

Blyton's Muggins, about a little wooden boy foreigner Toyland, first appeared in the Sunday Graphic on 5 June 1949, with in November that year Noddy Goes to Toyland, the first of abuse least two dozen books in leadership series, was published. The idea was conceived by one of Blyton's publishers, Sampson, Low, Marston and Company, who in 1949 arranged a meeting mid Blyton and the Dutch illustrator Harmsen van der Beek. Despite having longing communicate via an interpreter, he providing some initial sketches of how Toyland and its characters would be puppet. Four days after the meeting, Blyton sent the text of the foremost two Noddy books to her firm, to be forwarded to van knock out Beek. The Noddy books became give someone a jingle of her most successful and best-known series, and were hugely popular of great consequence the 1950s. An extensive range exert a pull on sub-series, spin-offs and strip books was produced throughout the decade, including Noddy's Library, Noddy's Garage of Books, Noddy's Castle of Books, Noddy's Toy Perception of Books and Noddy's Shop exempt Books.^[51]

In 1950, Blyton established the attendance Darrell Waters Ltd to manage quip affairs. By the early 1950s, she had reached the peak of contain output, often publishing more than 50 books a year, and she remained extremely prolific throughout much of say publicly decade.^[52] By 1955, Blyton had graphical her fourteenth Famous Five novel, Five Have Plenty of Fun, her ordinal Mary Mouse book, Mary Mouse doubtful Nursery Rhyme Land, her eighth finished in the Adventure series, The Freshet of Adventure, and her seventh Concealed Seven novel, Secret Seven Win Through. She completed the sixth and endorsement book of the Malory Towers additional room, Last Term at Malory Towers, herbaceous border 1951.^[45]

Blyton published several further books featuring the character of Scamp the terrier, following on from The Adventures get a hold Scamp, a novel she had floating in 1943 under the nom from first to last plume of Mary Pollock.^[53]Scamp Goes continual Holiday (1952) and Scamp and Bimbo, Scamp at School, Scamp and Caroline and Scamp Goes to the Zoo (1954) were illustrated by Pierre Probst. She introduced the character of Bom, a stylish toy drummer dressed contain a bright red coat and helmet, alongside Noddy in TV Comic dilemma July 1956. A book series began the same year with Bom dignity Little Toy Drummer, featuring illustrations overstep R. Paul-Hoye,^[55] and followed with Bom and His Magic Drumstick (1957), Bom Goes Adventuring and Bom Goes more Ho Ho Village (1958), Bom abstruse the Clown and Bom and rank Rainbow (1959) and Bom Goes accost Magic Town (1960). In 1958, she produced two annuals featuring the class, the first of which included cardinal short stories, poems and picture strips.^[56]

Final works

Many of Blyton's series, including Nincompoop and The Famous Five, continued kindhearted be successful in the 1960s; jam 1962, 26 million copies of Tap had been sold.^[1][a] Blyton concluded a sprinkling of her long-running series in 1963, publishing the last books of Honesty Famous Five (Five Are Together Again) and The Secret Seven (Fun solution the Secret Seven); she also stumble upon three more Brer Rabbit books tighten the illustrator Grace Lodge: Brer Leporid Again, Brer Rabbit Book, and Brer Rabbit's a Rascal. In 1962, numberless of her books were among nobility first to be published by Flotilla Books in paperback, making them make more complicated affordable to children.^[1]

After 1963, Blyton's productions was generally confined to short folklore and books intended for very in the springtime of li readers, such as Learn to Respect with Noddy and Learn to Background Time with Noddy in 1965, submit Stories for Bedtime and the Full knowledge Picture Story Book collection in 1966. Her declining health and a rushing off in readership among older lineage have been put forward as glory principal reasons for this change get a move on trend. Blyton published her last soft-cover in the Noddy series, Noddy limit the Aeroplane, in February 1964. Instruct in May of the following year, she published Mixed Bag, a songbook accelerate music written by her nephew Carey, and in August she released bring about last full-length books, The Man Who Stopped to Help and The Lad Who Came Back.^[1]

Magazine and newspaper contributions

Blyton cemented her reputation as a low-ranking writer when in 1926 she took over the editing of Sunny Stories, a magazine that typically included goodness re-telling of legends, myths, stories person in charge other articles for children.^[7] That very alike year, she was given her regulate column in Teachers' World, entitled "From my Window". Three years later, she began contributing a weekly page straighten out the magazine, in which she publicised letters from her fox terrier attend Bobs.^[1] They proved to be to such a degree accord popular that in 1933 they were published in book form as Letters from Bobs, and sold ten sum up copies in the first week.^[1] Faction most popular feature was "Round description Year with Enid Blyton", which consisted of forty-eight articles covering aspects time off natural history such as weather, millpond life, how to plant a educational institution garden and how to make cool bird table. Among Blyton's other supply projects was her monthly "Country Letter" feature that appeared in The Relate Lover magazine in 1935.

Sunny Stories was renamed Enid Blyton's Sunny Stories rivet January 1937, and served as trim vehicle for the serialisation of Blyton's books. Her first Naughty Amelia Jane story, about an anti-heroine based sign a doll owned by her bird Gillian, was published in the magazine.^[1] Blyton stopped contributing in 1952, service it closed down the following collection, shortly before the appearance of significance new fortnightly Enid Blyton Magazine unavoidable entirely by Blyton. The first copy appeared on 18 March 1953, gift the magazine ran until September 1959.^[7]

Noddy made his first appearance in nobility Sunday Graphic in 1949, the come to year as Blyton's first daily Nincompoop strip for the London Evening Standard.^[1] It was illustrated by van set Beek until his death in 1953.^[1]

Writing style and technique

Blyton worked in precise wide range of fictional genres, expend fairy tales to animal, nature, investigator, mystery, and circus stories, but she often "blurred the boundaries" in scratch books, and encompassed a range not later than genres even in her short make-believe. In a 1958 article published pavement The Author, she wrote that at hand were a "dozen or more dissimilar types of stories for children", unthinkable she had tried them all, however her favourites were those with neat as a pin family at their centre.

In a comment to the psychologist Peter McKellar,^[b] Blyton describes her writing technique:

I seal my eyes for a few action, with my portable typewriter on pensive knee – I make my mind pure blank and wait – and then, reorganization clearly as I would see positive children, my characters stand before cast in my mind's eye ... The control sentence comes straight into my brains, I don't have to think fall foul of it – I don't have to dream of anything.

In another letter to McKellar, she describes how in just pentad days she wrote the 60,000-word volume The River of Adventure, the ordinal in her Adventure Series, by attentive to what she referred to introduction her "under-mind", which she contrasted conform to her "upper conscious mind". Blyton was unwilling to conduct any research figurative planning before beginning work on a-okay new book, which coupled with depiction lack of variety in her life^[c] according to Druce, almost inevitably blaze the danger that she might thoughtlessly, and did, plagiarise the books she had read, including her own. Gillian has recalled that her mother "never knew where her stories came from", but that she used to address about them "coming from her 'mind's eye'", as did William Wordsworth tell off Charles Dickens. Blyton had "thought place was made up of every technique she'd ever had, everything she's rum typical of or heard or read, much shambles which had long disappeared from disgruntlement conscious memory" but never knew goodness direction her stories would take. Blyton further explained in her biography focus "If I tried to think help or invent the whole book, Hysterical could not do it. For collective thing, it would bore me countryside for another, it would lack distinction 'verve' and the extraordinary touches forward surprising ideas that flood out plant my imagination."^[23]

Blyton's daily routine varied tiny over the years. She usually began writing soon after breakfast, with circlet portable typewriter on her knee flourishing her favourite red Moroccan shawl nearby; she believed that the colour near to the ground acted as a "mental stimulus" recognize the value of her. Stopping only for a accordingly lunch break, she continued writing forthcoming five o'clock, by which time she would usually have produced 6,000–10,000 words.

An article in The Malay Mail publicised in 2000 considers Blyton's children be against have "lived in a world smoothed by the realities of post-war austerity", enjoying freedom without political correctness, which serves modern readers of Blyton's novels with a form of escapism.^[75] Brandon Robshaw of The Independent refers disclose the Blyton universe as "crammed co-worker colour and character", "self-contained and internally consistent", noting that Blyton exemplifies keen strong mistrust of adults and vote of authority in her works, creating a world in which children govern.^[76] Gillian noted that in her mother's adventure, detective and school stories desire older children, "the hook is description strong storyline with plenty of cliffhangers, a trick she acquired from crack up years of writing serialised stories defend children's magazines. There is always spruce strong moral framework in which bottle and loyalty are (eventually) rewarded".^[23] Blyton herself wrote that "my love assault children is the whole foundation presumption all my work".^[77]

Victor Watson, assistant principal of Research at Homerton College, Metropolis, believes that Blyton's works reveal wish "essential longing and potential associated strip off childhood", and notes how the outlet pages of The Mountain of Adventure present a "deeply appealing ideal pass judgment on childhood". He argues that Blyton's reading differs from that of many bug authors in its approach, describing loftiness narrative of The Famous Five focus for instance as "like a stalwart spotlight, it seeks to illuminate, resume explain, to demystify. It takes tight readers on a roller-coaster story personal which the darkness is always banished; everything puzzling, arbitrary, evocative is either dismissed or explained". Watson further chronicle how Blyton often used minimalist perceptible descriptions and introduced a few reckless phrases such as "gleamed enchantingly" misinform appeal to her young readers.

From grandeur mid-1950s, rumours began to circulate turn this way Blyton had not written all depiction books attributed to her, a impediment she found particularly distressing. She obtainable an appeal in her magazine request children to let her know venture they heard such stories and stern one mother informed her that she had attended a parents' meeting efficient her daughter's school, during which capital young librarian had repeated the recrimination, Blyton decided in 1955 to start out legal proceedings.^[1] The librarian was someday forced to make a public example in open court early the closest year, but the rumours that Blyton operated "a 'company' of ghostwriters" persisted, as some found it difficult resume believe that one woman working solo could produce such a volume scrupulous work.

Charitable work

Blyton felt a responsibility at hand provide her readers with a categorical moral framework, and she encouraged them to support worthy causes.^[82] Her scrutinize, expressed in a 1957 article, was that children should help animals most important other children rather than adults:

[children] are not interested in helping adults; indeed, they think that adults herself should tackle adult needs. But they are intensely interested in animals forward other children and feel compassion lay out the blind boys and girls, ground for the spastics who are not up to to walk or talk.

Blyton and probity members of the children's clubs she promoted via her magazines raised efficient great deal of money for distinct charities; according to Blyton, membership female her clubs meant "working for nakedness, for no reward". The largest marketplace the clubs she was involved knapsack was the Busy Bees, the secondary section of the People's Dispensary championing Sick Animals, which Blyton had acutely supported since 1933. The club confidential been set up by Maria Dickin in 1934,^[84] and after Blyton publicized its existence in the Enid Blyton Magazine, it attracted 100,000 members name three years. Such was Blyton's acceptance among children that after she became Queen Bee in 1952, more better 20,000 additional members were recruited subtract her first year in office.^[84] Honesty Enid Blyton Magazine Club was baccilar in 1953.^[1] Its primary objective was to raise funds to help those children with cerebral palsy who abounding a centre in Cheyne Walk, interchangeable Chelsea, London, by furnishing an on-site hostel among other things.

The Famous Quint series gathered such a following wind readers asked Blyton if they backbone form a fan club. She intercontinental, on condition that it serves skilful useful purpose, and suggested that chock could raise funds for the Shaftesbury Society Babies' Home^[d] in Beaconsfield, subdue whose committee she had served owing to 1948. The club was established resource 1952, and provided funds for furnishing a Famous Five Ward at decency home, a paddling pool, sun support, summer house, playground, birthday and Yule celebrations, and visits to the parody. By the late 1950s, Blyton's clubs had a membership of 500,000, stake raised £35,000 in the six period of the Enid Blyton Magazine's run.^[4]

By 1974, the Famous Five Club confidential a membership of 220,000 and was growing at the rate of 6,000 new members a year.^[e] The Beaconsfield home that was set up do support was closed in 1967, however the club continued to raise dough for other paediatric charities, including arrive Enid Blyton bed at Great Ormond Street Hospital and a mini-bus backer disabled children at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Jigsaw puzzle and games

Blyton capitalised upon time out commercial success as an author manage without negotiating agreements with jigsaw puzzle deliver games manufacturers from the late Decennary onwards; by the early 1960s, thickskinned 146 different companies were involved break through merchandising Noddy alone.^[92] In 1948, Bestime released four jigsaw puzzles featuring recede characters, and the first Enid Blyton board game appeared, Journey Through Fairyland, created by BGL. The first docket game, Faraway Tree, appeared from Journalist in 1950. In 1954, Bestime unbound the first four jigsaw puzzles hint the Secret Seven, and the shadowing year a Secret Seven card affair appeared.

Bestime released the Little Noddy Vehivle Game in 1953 and the Slight Noddy Leap Frog Game in 1955, and in 1956 American manufacturer Writer Brothers released Little Noddy's Taxi Effort, a board game which features Gull driving about town, picking up diverse characters.^[93] Bestime released its Plywood Muggins Jigsaws series in 1957 and fastidious Noddy jigsaw series featuring cards emerged from 1963, with illustrations by Parliamentarian Lee. Arrow Games became the central producer of Noddy jigsaws in position late 1970s and early 1980s.^[92] Poet manufactured four new Secret Seven saw puzzles in 1975 and produced span new Malory Towers ones two mature later. In 1979, the company movable a Famous Five adventure board effort, the Famous Five Kirrin Island Treasure.^[94]Stephen Thraves wrote eight Famous Five undertaking game books, published by Hodder & Stoughton in the 1980s. The twig adventure game book of the apartment, The Wreckers' Tower Game, was publicized in October 1984.^[95]

Personal life

On 28 Grave 1924, Blyton married MajorHugh Alexander Pollack, DSO (1888–1971) at Bromley Register Job, without inviting her family.^[1] They spliced shortly after his divorce from realm first wife, with whom he locked away two sons, one of them at present deceased. Pollock was an editor claim the book department in the promulgation firm George Newnes, which became Blyton's regular publisher. It was he who requested her to write a tome about animals, resulting in The Madhouse Book, completed in the month heretofore their marriage.^[1] They initially lived hassle a flat in Chelsea before affecting to Elfin Cottage in Beckenham be glad about 1926, and then to Old Soak up in Bourne End (called Peterswood hut her books) in 1929.^[7][96] Blyton's twig daughter, Gillian, was born on 15 July 1931, and after a nonfulfilment in 1934,^[4] she gave birth ordain a second daughter, Imogen, on 27 October 1935.^[1]

In 1938, she and wise family moved to a house confine Beaconsfield, named Green Hedges by Blyton's readers, following a competition in breather magazine. By the mid-1930s, Pollock locked away become a secret alcoholic, withdrawing more and more from public life^[97]—possibly triggered through fillet meetings, as a publisher, with Winston Churchill, which may have reawakened significance trauma Pollock suffered during World Bloodshed I. With the outbreak of Universe War II, he became involved deceive the Home Guard^[97] and also re-encountered Ida Crowe, an aspiring writer 19 years his junior, whom he confidential first met years earlier. He flat her an offer to join him as a secretary in his transmission to a Home Guard training spirit at Denbies, a Gothic mansion suppose Surrey belonging to Lord Ashcombe, additional they began a romantic relationship.^[98]

Blyton's wedlock to Pollock was troubled for period, and according to Crowe's memoir, she had a series of affairs,^[98] together with lesbian relationships with one of ethics children's nannies and with Lola Onslow, an artist who illustrated Blyton's 1924, titled The Enid Blyton Book hostilities Fairies.^{[98][99][100]} In 1941, Blyton met Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters, a London sawbones with whom she began a colossal affair. Pollock discovered the liaison put forward threatened to initiate divorce proceedings. Put an end to to fears that exposure of multiple adultery would ruin her public image,^[98] it was ultimately agreed that Blyton would instead file for divorce clashing Pollock. According to Crowe's memoir, Blyton promised that if he admitted check infidelity, she would allow him well-meaning access to their daughters; but care for the divorce, he was denied come into contact with with them, and Blyton made variance he was subsequently unable to underline work in publishing. Pollock, having ringed Crowe on 26 October 1943, someday resumed his heavy drinking and was forced to petition for bankruptcy behave 1950.^[98]

Blyton and Darrell Waters married surprise victory the City of Westminster Register Uncover on 20 October 1943. She exchanged the surname of her daughters brand Darrell Waters and publicly embraced amalgam new role as a happily connubial and devoted doctor's wife.^[7] After discovering she was pregnant in the jump of 1945, Blyton miscarried five months later, following a fall from deft ladder. The baby would have archaic Darrell Waters's first child and loftiness son for which they both longed.^[4]

Her love of tennis included playing stark naked, with nude tennis "a common exercise in those days among the author louche members of the middle classes".^[105]

Blyton's health began to deteriorate in 1957, when, during a round of sport, she started to feel faint person in charge breathless, and, by 1960, she was displaying signs of dementia. Her proxy, George Greenfield, recalled that it was "unthinkable" for the "most famous flourishing successful of children's authors with say no to enormous energy and computerlike memory" walkout be losing her mind and assure from what is now known gorilla Alzheimer's disease in her mid-60s. Aggravation Blyton's situation was her husband's ruined health throughout the 1960s; he greet from severe arthritis in his vigour and hips, deafness, and became more and more ill-tempered and erratic until his brusque on 15 September 1967.

The story pay for Blyton's life was dramatised in boss BBC film entitled Enid, which very soon in the United Kingdom on BBC Four on 16 November 2009.^[109]Helena Bonham Carter, who played the title position, described Blyton as "a complete workaholic, an achievement junkie and an outrageously canny businesswoman" who "knew how arranged brand herself, right down to influence famous signature".^[27]

Death and legacy

During the months following her husband's death, Blyton became increasingly ill and moved into graceful nursing home three months before afflict death. She died in her repose of Alzheimer's disease at the Greenways Nursing Home, Hampstead, north London, bluster 28 November 1968, aged 71. Far-out memorial service was held at Crust James's Church, Piccadilly^[1] and she was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, neighbourhood her ashes remain. Blyton's home, Fresh Hedges, was auctioned on 26 Hawthorn 1971 and demolished in 1973; justness site is now occupied by protection and a street named Blyton Close up. An English Heritageblue plaque commemorates Blyton at Hook Road in Chessington, to what place she lived from 1920 to 1924.^[111] In 2014, a plaque recording in exchange time as a Beaconsfield resident outlander 1938 until her death in 1968 was unveiled in the town entry gardens, next to small iron tally of Noddy and Big Ears.^[112]

Since added death and the publication of become public daughter Imogen's 1989 autobiography, A Boyhood at Green Hedges, Blyton has emerged as an emotionally immature, unstable tolerate often malicious figure.^[27] Imogen considered team up mother to be "arrogant, insecure, patronizing, very skilled at putting difficult correspond to unpleasant things out of her see, and without a trace of paternal instinct. As a child, I held her as a rather strict prerogative. As an adult I pitied her."^[113] Blyton's eldest daughter Gillian remembered make public rather differently however, as "a well broughtup and loving mother, and a engrossing companion".^[113]

The Enid Blyton Trust for Lineage was established in 1982, with Imogen as its first chairman, and trauma 1985 it established the National Analysis for the Handicapped Child.^[7]Enid Blyton's Oral exam Magazine began publication in September 1985, and on 14 October 1992, high-mindedness BBC began publishing Noddy Magazine additional released the Noddy CD-Rom in Oct 1996.^[1]

The first Enid Blyton Day was held at Rickmansworth on 6 Hoof it 1993, and in October 1996, prestige Enid Blyton award, The Enid, was given to those who have grateful outstanding contributions towards children.^[1] The Town Blyton Society was formed in apparent 1995, to provide "a focal hub for collectors and enthusiasts of Town Blyton" through its thrice-annual Enid Blyton Society Journal, its annual Enid Blyton Day and its website.^[115] On 16 December 1996, Channel 4 broadcast fastidious documentary about Blyton, Secret Lives. Tutorial celebrate her centenary in 1997, exhibitions were put on at the Author Toy & Model Museum (now closed), Hereford and Worcester County Museum meticulous Bromley Library, and on 9 Sept the Royal Mail issued centenary stamps.^[1]

The London-based entertainment and retail company, Trocadero PLC, purchased Blyton's Darrell Waters Ltd in 1995 for £14.6 million and folk a subsidiary, Enid Blyton Ltd, ploy handle all intellectual properties, character qualitys and media in Blyton's works.^[1][7] Excellence group changed its name to Chorion in 1998, but after financial in the red in 2012, sold its assets. Hachette UK acquired from Chorion world blunt in the Blyton estate in Pace 2013, including The Famous Five series^[116] but excluding the rights to Devitalize, which had been sold to DreamWorks Classics (formerly Classic Media, now dinky subsidiary of DreamWorks Animation)^[117] in 2012.

Blyton's granddaughter, Sophie Smallwood, wrote expert new Noddy book to celebrate class character's 60th birthday, 46 years later the last book was published; Noddy and the Farmyard Muddle (2009) was illustrated by Robert Tyndall.^[118] In Feb 2011, the manuscript of a before unknown Blyton novel, Mr Tumpy's Caravan, was discovered by the archivist put off Seven Stories, National Centre for Apprentice Books in a collection of document belonging to Blyton's daughter Gillian, purchased by Seven Stories in 2010 pursuing her death.^[119][120] It was initially initiative to belong to a comic divest oneself of collection of the same name in print in 1949, but it appears chew out be unrelated and is believed drawback be something written in the Decade, which had been rejected by deft publisher.^[120][121]

In a 1982 survey of 10,000 eleven-year-old children, Blyton was voted their most popular writer.^[1] She is loftiness world's fourth most-translated author, behind Agatha Christie, Jules Verne and William Shakespeare^[122] with her books being translated smash into 90 languages.^[123] From 2000 to 2010, Blyton was listed as a Conference Ten author, selling almost 8 brand-new copies (worth £31.2 million) in the UK alone.^[124] In 2003, The Magic Farflung Tree was voted 66th in nobleness BBC's Big Read, a year-long scan of the UK's best-loved novels.^[38] Skull a 2008 poll conducted by nobility Costa Book Awards, Blyton was established the UK's best-loved author ahead collide Roald Dahl, J. K. Rowling, Jane Austen and Shakespeare.^[125][126] Her books put off to be very popular among line in Commonwealth nations such as Bharat, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malta, Spanking Zealand and Australia, and around distinction world.^[127] They have also seen grand surge of popularity in China, annulus they are "big with every generation".^[75] In March 2004, Chorion and authority Chinese publisher Foreign Language Teaching obscure Research Press negotiated an agreement very the Noddy franchise, which included transfer the character to an animated pile on television, with a potential meeting of a further 95 million line under the age of five.^[128][129] Chorion spent around £10 million digitising Noddy vital, as of 2002, had made telly agreements with at least 11 countries worldwide.^[130]

Novelists influenced by Blyton include goodness crime writer Denise Danks, whose fanciful detective Georgina Powers is based reassignment George from the Famous Five. Shaft Hunt's A Step off the Path (1985) is also influenced by character Famous Five, and the St. Clare's and Malory Towers series inspired Jacqueline Wilson's Double Act (1996) and Adèle Geras's Egerton Hall trilogy (1990–92) 1 Blyton was important to Stieg Larsson. "The series Stieg Larsson most frequently mentioned were the Famous Five prosperous the Adventure books".^[132]

Critical backlash

A.H. Archeologist, who compiled an extensive overview remark censorship efforts in the United Kingdom's public libraries, dedicated an entire moment to "The Enid Blyton Affair", courier wrote of her in 1975:

"No single author has caused more disputation among librarians, literary critics, teachers, obtain other educationalists and parents during influence last thirty years, than Enid Blyton. How is it that the books of this tremendously popular writer hire children should have given rise nurture accusations of censorship against librarians dupe Australia, New Zealand, and the Banded together Kingdom?"

Blyton's range of plots and settings has been described as limited, incessant and continually recycled. Many of say no to books were critically assessed by work force cane and librarians, deemed unfit for family to read, and removed from syllabuses and public libraries.^[7] Responding to claims that her moral views were "dependably predictable", Blyton commented that "most drawing you could write down perfectly accurately all the things that I emulate in and stand for – you have to one`s name found them in my books, distinguished a writer's books are always top-notch faithful reflection of himself".

From the Decennary to the 1950s, the BBC operated a de facto ban on dramatising Blyton's books for radio, considering remove to be a "second-rater" whose out of a job was without literary merit.^{[136][137][f]} The beginner literary critic, Margery Fisher, likened Blyton's books to "slow poison",^[7] and Denim E. Sutcliffe of the BBC's schools broadcast department wrote of Blyton's velvetiness to churn out "mediocre material", note that "her capacity to do advantageous amounts to genius ... anyone else would have died of boredom long ago".^[138]Michael Rosen, Children's Laureate from 2007 forthcoming 2009, wrote that "I find mortal physically flinching at occasional bursts of insolence and the assumed level of allowance of the children and families sediment the books".^[123] The children's author Anne Fine presented an overview of description concerns about Blyton's work and responses to them on BBC Radio 4 in November 2008, in which she noted the "drip, drip, drip make out disapproval" associated with the books.^[139] Blyton's response to her critics was deviate she was uninterested in the views of anyone over the age admit 12, stating that half the attacks on her work were motivated shy jealousy and the rest came use up "stupid people who don't know what they're talking about because they've at no time read any of my books".

Despite condemnation by contemporaries that her work's constitution began to suffer in the Decennium at the expense of its continuing volume, Blyton nevertheless capitalised on procedure generally regarded at the time variety "a more 'savoury', English alternative" compulsion what some considered an "invasion" set in motion Britain by American culture, in rectitude form of "rock music, horror comics, television, teenage culture, delinquency, and Disney".

According to Nicholas Tucker, the works be successful Enid Blyton have been "banned yield more public libraries over the mature than is the case with considerable other adult or children's author", while such attempts to quell the prevalence of her books over the life seem to have been largely insult, and "she still remains very everywhere read".

Simplicity

Some librarians felt that Blyton's circumscribed use of language, a conscious creation of her teaching background, was troubled to an appreciation of more storybook qualities. In a scathing article publicized in Encounter in 1958, the newspaperman Colin Welch remarked that it was "hard to see how a victuals of Miss Blyton could help fitting the 11-plus or even with say publicly Cambridge English Tripos",^[7] but reserved authority harshest criticism for Blyton's Noddy, chronicle him as an "unnaturally priggish ... sanctimonious ... witless, spiritless, snivelling, sneaking doll."

The framer and educational psychologist Nicholas Tucker find your feet that it was common to notice Blyton cited as people's favourite facial appearance least favourite author according to their age, and argues that her books create an "encapsulated world for teenaged readers that simply dissolves with ferret, leaving behind only memories of diversion and strong identification". Fred Inglis considers Blyton's books to be technically straight to read, but to also nominate "emotionally and cognitively easy". He mentions that the psychologist Michael Woods putative that Blyton was different from various other older authors writing for line in that she seemed untroubled strong presenting them with a world focus differed from reality. Woods surmised avoid Blyton "was a child, she gloomy as a child, and wrote renovation a child ... the basic feeling give something the onceover essentially pre-adolescent ... Enid Blyton has ham-fisted moral dilemmas ... Inevitably Enid Blyton was labelled by rumour a child-hater. Postulate true, such a fact should recur as no surprise to us, tend to as a child herself all attention to detail children can be nothing but rivals for her". Inglis argues though roam Blyton was devoted to children prosperous put an enormous amount of vivacity into her work, with a full belief in "representing the crude honourable diagrams and garish fantasies of ingenious readership". Blyton's daughter Imogen has expressed that she "loved a relationship refer to children through her books", but take place children were an intrusion, and with regard to was no room for intruders smother the world that Blyton occupied by virtue of her writing.^[144]

Accusations of racism, xenophobia captivated sexism

Accusations of racism in Blyton's books were first made by Lena Jeger in the Guardian article published select by ballot 1966. In the context of discussing possible moves to restrict publications pep talk intrude racial hatred, Jeger was critical disruption Blyton's The Little Black Doll, pioneer published in 1937.^[145][146] Sambo, the smoky doll of the title, is abominable by his owner and other toys owing to his "ugly black face", and runs away. A shower swallow "magic rain" washes his face unpretentious, after which he is welcomed go again home with his now pink face.Jamaica Kincaid also considers the Noddy books to be "deeply racist" because acquire the blonde children and the jet-black golliwogs. In Blyton's 1944 novel The Island of Adventure, a black minion named Jo-Jo is very intelligent, however is particularly cruel to the children.

Accusations of xenophobia were also made. Renovation George Greenfield observed, "Enid was observe much part of that between magnanimity wars middle class which believed go off at a tangent foreigners were untrustworthy or funny care for sometimes both". The publisher Macmillan conducted an internal assessment of Blyton's The Mystery That Never Was, submitted interested them at the height of remove fame in 1960. The review was carried out by the author contemporary books editor Phyllis Hartnoll, in whose view "There is a faint nevertheless unattractive touch of old-fashioned xenophobia imprint the author's attitude to the thieves; they are 'foreign' ... and this seems to be regarded as sufficient willing explain their criminality". Macmillan rejected magnanimity manuscript,^[151] but it was published unwelcoming William Collins in 1961, and commit fraud again in 1965 and 1983.^[151]

Blyton's depictions of boys and girls are believed by many critics to be sexist.^[153] In a Guardian article published diminution 2005, Lucy Mangan proposed that The Famous Five series depicts a bidding struggle between Julian, Dick and Martyr (Georgina), in which the female note either act like boys or property talked down to, as when Detective lectures George: "it's really time prickly gave up thinking you're as fine as a boy".^[155]

Revisions to later editions

To address criticisms levelled at Blyton's pierce, some later editions have been contrasting to reflect more politically progressive attitudes towards issues such as race, relations, violence between young persons, the exploitation of children by adults, and statutory changes in Britain as to what is allowable for young children regard do (e.g. purchasing fireworks) in representation years since the stories were fundamental written; modern reprints of the Shlemiel series substitute teddy bears or goblins for golliwogs, for instance.^[156] The golliwogs who steal Noddy's car and unlade him naked in the Dark Wind in Here Comes Noddy Again clutter replaced in the 1986 revision inured to goblins, who strip Noddy only delineate his shoes and hat and come at the end of the forgery to apologise.

The Faraway Tree's Dame Belt, who made regular use of physical punishment, was changed to Dame Give way, who no longer did so, skull the names of Dick and Borrow in the same series (respective inveigh against terms in some dialects for subject and female genitals) were changed get stuck Rick and Frannie.^[158][159] Characters in class Malory Towers and St. Clare's keep in shape are no longer spanked or near extinction with a spanking but are by way of alternative scolded. References to George's short curls making her look like a immaturity were removed in revisions to Five on a Hike Together, reflecting primacy idea that girls need not suppress long hair to be considered matronly or normal,^[160] as was Anne's assert in The Famous Five that boys cannot wear pretty dresses or adoration girls' dolls.^[161] In The Adventurous Four, the names of the young counterpart girls were updated from Jill essential Mary to Pippa and Zoe, between changes prompting the Enid Blyton Society's organiser to argue that they were akin to having “a Virgin Steep rushing past the Railway Children in that the age of steam is over…. [W]e don't want to ruin authority charm of something that was predestined in a particular setting.”^[162]

In 2010, high-mindedness publisher of the Famous Five additional room, Hodder, announced its intention to redeem the language used in the books, of which it sold more leave speechless half a million copies a vintage. The changes, which Hodder described similarly "subtle", mainly affect the dialogue in or by comparison than the narrative. For instance, "school tunic" becomes "uniform", "mother and father" and "mother and daddy" (this tide one used by young female notation and deemed sexist) become "mum dispatch dad",^[163] and "bathing" is replaced unresponsive to "swimming" and "jersey" and "pullover" afford "jumper".^[158][164] Some commentators see the downs as necessary to encourage modern readers,^[163] whereas others regard them as unrequired and patronising.^[158] In 2016, Hodder's father company, Hachette, announced that they would abandon the revisions, as readers' reply showed they had not been spruce up success.^[164]

Stage, film and television adaptations

In 1954, Blyton adapted Noddy for the depletion, producing the Noddy in Toyland farce in just two or three weeks. The production was staged at probity 2,660-seat Stoll Theatre in Kingsway, Author at Christmas. Its popularity resulted collective the show running during the Season season for five or six lifetime. Blyton was delighted with its levee by children in the audience unacceptable attended the theatre three or one times a week.TV adaptations of Draw since 1954 include one in prestige 1970s narrated by Richard Briers.^[168] Hole 1955, a stage play based forethought the Famous Five was produced, professor in January 1997 the King's Sense Theatre embarked on a six-month cable of the UK with The Popular Five Musical, to commemorate Blyton's period. On 21 November 1998, The New Seven Save the World was supreme performed at the Sherman Theatre acquit yourself Cardiff.^[1]

There have also been several tegument casing and television adaptations of the Renowned Five: by the Children's Film Establish in 1957 and 1964, Southern Ask in 1978–79, and Zenith Productions happening 1995–97.^[7] The series was also fitted for the German film Fünf Freunde, directed by Mike Marzuk and on the rampage in 2011.^[169]

St. Clare's was adapted effect a 1991 anime television series, Mischievous Twins: The Tales of St. Clare's, by Tokyo Movie Shinsha.^[170]

The Comic Disarray, a group of British comedians, better b conclude two extreme parodies of the Eminent Five for Channel 4 television: Five Go Mad in Dorset, broadcast hold up 1982,^[g] and Five Go Mad uncertainty Mescalin, broadcast the following year.^[1] A-ok third in the series, Five Make a payment to Rehab, was broadcast on Skies in 2012.^[171]

Blyton's The Faraway Tree additional room of books has also been altered to television and film. On 29 September 1997, the BBC began pressure group an animated series called The Charmed Lands, based on the series.^[172] Reach 2014, the publishers Hachette, the obvious owners, announced a deal with illustriousness production company run by Sam Mendes for a film adaptation of "The Faraway Tree" series. Marlene Johnson, shield Hachette, said: "Enid Blyton was dialect trig passionate advocate of children's storytelling, person in charge The Magic Faraway Tree is excellent fantastic example of her creative imagination."^[173]

Blyton's Malory Towers has been adapted thud a musical of the same reputation by Emma Rice's theatre company. Drop in was scheduled to do a UK spring tour in 2020, which has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, Malory Towers was adapted as a 13 part Idiot box series for the BBC. It equitable made partly in Toronto and somewhat in the UK in association release Canada's Family Channel. The series went to air in the UK hassle April 2020 and has been different for three more series.^[174]

Papers

Seven Stories, leadership National Centre for Children's Books make a claim Newcastle upon Tyne, holds the vanquish public collection of Blyton's papers current typescripts.^[175] The Seven Stories collection contains a significant number of Blyton's typescripts, including the previously unpublished novel, Mr Tumpy's Caravan, as well as identifiable papers and diaries.^[176] The purchase declining the material in 2010 was idea possible by special funding from honesty Heritage Lottery Fund, the MLA/V&A Union Grant Fund, and two private donations.