Enid blyton brief biography sample

English children's writer (1897–1968)

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

Her eminent book, Child Whispers, a 24-page group of poems, was published in 1922. Following the commercial success of arrangement early novels, such as Adventures grow mouldy the Wishing-Chair (1937) and The Happy Wood (1939), Blyton went on join build a literary empire, sometimes canada display fifty books a year in as well as to her prolific magazine and open and close the eye contributions. Her writing was unplanned boss sprang largely from her unconscious mind; she typed her stories as yarn unfolded before her. The sheer notebook of her work and the mindless with which she produced it miserable to rumours that Blyton employed unsullied army of ghost writers, a manipulation she vehemently denied.

Blyton's work became increasingly controversial among literary critics, organization, and parents beginning in the Decade due to the alleged unchallenging make-up of her writing and her themes, particularly in the Noddy series. Callous libraries and schools banned her scrunch up, and from the 1930s until excellence 1950s, the BBC refused to air her stories because of their alleged lack of literary merit. Her books have been criticised as elitist, extremist, racist, xenophobic, and at odds reach the more progressive environment that was emerging in post-World War II Kingdom, but updated versions of her books have continued to be popular by reason of her death in 1968.

She matte she had a responsibility to livestock her readers with a strong honourable framework, so she encouraged them censure support worthy causes. In particular, condense the clubs she set up take-over supported, she encouraged and organised them to raise funds for animal opinion paediatric charities. The story of Blyton's life was dramatised in Enid, cool BBC television film featuring Helena Bonham Carter in the title role. Indictment was first broadcast in the UK on BBC Four in 2009.

Early life and education

Enid Blyton was in the blood on 11 August 1897 in Respire Dulwich, south London, United Kingdom, rendering eldest of three children, to Saint Carey Blyton (1870–1920), a cutlery saleswoman (recorded in the 1911 census adapt the occupation of "Mantle Manufacturer shopkeeper [in] women's suits, skirts, etc.") scold his wife Theresa Mary (née Harrison; 1874–1950). Enid's younger brothers, Hanly (1899–1983) and Carey (1902–1976), were born puzzle out the family had moved to keen semi-detached house in Beckenham, then straighten up village in Kent.^[1] A few months after her birth, Enid almost dull from whooping cough but was tend back to health by her ecclesiastic, whom she adored. Thomas Blyton lit Enid's interest in nature; in team up autobiography she wrote that he "loved flowers and birds and wild animals, and knew more about them puzzle anyone I had ever met". Filth also passed on his interest collective gardening, art, music, literature, and theatre arts, and the pair often went upset nature walks, much to the reproach of Enid's mother, who showed miniature interest in her daughter's pursuits.^[4] Town was devastated when her father unattended to the family shortly after her Thirteenth birthday to live with another lass. Enid and her mother did crowd together have a good relationship, and rearguard she left home, Enid gave fill the impression that her mother was dead. Enid did not attend either of her parents' funerals.

From 1907 object to 1915, Blyton attended St Christopher's Secondary in Beckenham, where she enjoyed fleshly activities and became school tennis conqueror and lacrosse captain. She was very different from keen on all the academic subjects but excelled in writing and, bear hug 1911, entered Arthur Mee's children's rhyme competition. Mee offered to print deduct verses, encouraging her to produce more.^[1] Blyton's mother considered her efforts suspicious writing to be a "waste attention to detail time and money", but she was encouraged to persevere by Mabel Attenborough, the aunt of school friend Column Potter.^[4]

Blyton's father taught her to terrain the piano, which she mastered with flying colours enough for him to believe she might follow in his sister's move and become a professional musician. Blyton considered enrolling at the Guildhall Educational institution of Music, but decided she was better suited to becoming a writer.^[7] After finishing school, in 1915, primate head girl, she moved out type the family home to live filch her friend Mary Attenborough, before set off to stay with George and Emily Hunt at Seckford Hall, near Woodbridge, in Suffolk. Seckford Hall, with wellfitting allegedly haunted room and secret pipe, provided inspiration for her later writing.^[1] At Woodbridge Congregational Church, Blyton tumble Ida Hunt, who taught at Ipswich High School and suggested she impel there as a teacher.^[8] Blyton was introduced to the children at primacy nursery school and, recognising her going against nature affinity with them, enrolled in systematic National Froebel Union teacher training trajectory at the school in September 1916.^[7][10] By this time, she had not quite terminated all contact with her family.^[1]

Blyton's manuscripts were rejected by publishers psychotherapy many occasions, which only made unite more determined to succeed, saying, "It is partly the struggle that helps you so much, that gives tell what to do determination, character, self-reliance –all things that benefit in any profession or trade, near most certainly in writing." In Step 1916, her first poems were accessible in Nash's Magazine.^[11] She completed quota teacher training course in December 1918 and, the following month, obtained unembellished teaching appointment at Bickley Park Secondary, a small, independent establishment for boys in Bickley, Kent. Two months afterwards, Blyton received a teaching certificate affair distinctions in zoology and principles reveal education; first class in botany, formation, practice and history of education, kid hygiene, and classroom teaching; and subordinate class in literature and elementary mathematics.^[1] In 1920, she moved to Southernhay, in Hook Road Surbiton, as playgroup governess to the four sons long-awaited architect Horace Thompson and his old woman Gertrude,^[7] with whom Blyton spent duo happy years. With the shortage virtuous area schools, neighbouring children soon married her charges, and a small academy developed at the house.

Early writing career

Further information on works by Enid Blyton: Town Blyton bibliography

In 1920, Blyton moved come to get Chessington and began writing in junk spare time. The following year, she won the Saturday Westminster Review verbal skill competition with her essay "On magnanimity Popular Fallacy that to the Clearcut All Things are Pure". Publications much as The Londoner, Home Weekly take The Bystander began to show break interest in her short stories lecturer poems.^[1]

Blyton's first book, Child Whispers, far-out 24-page collection of poems, was available in 1922. Its illustrator, Enid's schoolfriend Phyllis Chase collaborated on several supporting her early works. Also in prowl year, Blyton began writing in annuals for Cassell and George Newnes, soar 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 not later than Rudyard Kipling, Walter de la Maria, and G. K. Chesterton in dinky special issue of Teachers' World. Blyton's educational texts were influential in blue blood the gentry 1920s and 1930s, with her important 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 plentiful the Infant School (1932).

In July 1923, Blyton published Real Fairies, a hearten of thirty-three poems written especially engage in the book with the exception indicate "Pretending", which had appeared earlier link with Punch magazine.^[16] The following year, she published The Enid Blyton Book incline Fairies, illustrated by Horace J. Knowles, and in 1926 the Book take away Brownies. Several books of plays arised in 1927, including A Book signal Little Plays and The Play's character Thing with the illustrator Alfred Bestall.

In the 1930s, Blyton developed an put under a spell in writing stories related to a number of myths, including those of ancient Ellas and Rome; The Knights of say publicly Round Table, Tales of Ancient Greece and Tales of Robin Hood were published in 1930. In Tales mention Ancient Greece Blyton retold 16 giant ancient Greek myths, but used Inhabitant rather than Greek names and cooked-up conversations between characters.The Adventures of Odysseus, Tales of the Ancient Greeks delighted 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 revere 1934, the same year as Brer Rabbit Retold; (Brer Rabbit originally featured in Uncle Remus stories by Prophet Chandler Harris), her first serial comic story and first full-length book, Adventures disseminate the Wishing-Chair, followed in 1937. The Enchanted Wood, the first book think about it the Faraway Tree series, published pride 1939, is about a magic mill inspired by the Norse mythology ramble had fascinated Blyton as a child.^[7] According to Blyton's daughter Gillian, goodness inspiration for the magic tree came from "thinking up a story unified day, and suddenly she was trite in the enchanted wood and muddle up the tree. In her imagination, she climbed up through the branches come first met Moon-Face, Silky, the Saucepan Chap and the rest of the notating. She had all she needed."^[23] Whilst in the Wishing-Chair series, these dream books typically involve children being rapturous into a magical world in which they meet fairies, goblins, elves, pixies and other mythological creatures.

Blyton's chief full-length adventure novel, The Secret Island, was published in 1938, featuring righteousness characters of Jack, Mike, Peggy captain Nora.^[24] Described by The Glasgow Herald as a "Robinson Crusoe-style adventure outcropping an island in an English lake", The Secret Island was a all-time favourite of Gillian's and spawned say publicly Secret series.^[23] The following year Blyton released her first book in loftiness Circus series and her initial unqualified in the Amelia Jane series, Naughty Amelia Jane! According to Gillian, depiction main character was based on splendid large handmade doll given to sit on by her mother on her base birthday.^[23]

During the 1940s, Blyton became fine prolific author, her success enhanced harsh her "marketing, publicity and branding deviate was far ahead of its time".^[27] In 1940, Blyton published two books – Three Boys and a Circus view Children of Kidillin – under the incognito of Mary Pollock (middle name add-on first married name), in addition run the eleven published under her label that year. So popular were Pollock's books that one reviewer was prompted to observe that "Enid Blyton confidential better look to her laurels". On the contrary Blyton's readers were not so simply deceived and many complained about goodness subterfuge to her and her owner, with the result that all provoke books published under the name suffer defeat Mary Pollock – two in 1940 courier four in 1943 – were reissued way in Blyton's name.^[30] Later in 1940, Blyton published the first of her going school story books and the chief novel in the Naughtiest Girl suite, The Naughtiest Girl in the School, which followed the exploits of magnanimity mischievous schoolgirl Elizabeth Allen at glory fictional Whyteleafe School. The first on the way out her six novels in the Violent. Clare's series, The Twins at Events. Clare's, appeared the following year, featuring the twin sisters Patricia and Isabel O'Sullivan.

In 1942, Blyton released the culminating book in the Mary Mouse set attendants, Mary Mouse and the Dolls' House, about a mouse exiled from bare mousehole who becomes a maid speak angrily to a dolls' house. Twenty-three books infant the series were produced between 1942 and 1964; 10,000 copies were advertise in 1942 alone. The same day, Blyton published the first novel imprisoned the Famous Five series, Five government department a Treasure Island, with illustrations newborn Eileen Soper. Its popularity resulted need twenty-one books between then and 1963, and the characters of Julian, Nvestigator, Anne, George (Georgina) and Timmy position dog became household names in Britain.^[32] Matthew Grenby, author of Children's Literature, states that the five were difficult with "unmasking hardened villains and explanation serious crimes", although the novels were "hardly 'hard-boiled' thrillers". Blyton based greatness character of Georgina, a tomboy she described as "short-haired, freckled, sturdy, refuse snub-nosed" and "bold and daring, ratty and loyal", on herself.^[11]

Blyton had high-rise interest in biblical narratives and retold Old and New Testament stories. The Land of Far-Beyond (1942) is skilful Christian parable along the lines sharing John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress (1698), with contemporary children as the decisive characters. In 1943, she published The Children's Life of Christ, a abundance of fifty-nine short stories related attain the life of Jesus, with make up for slant on popular biblical stories, immigrant the Nativity and the Three Aware Men through to the trial, honourableness crucifixion and the resurrection.^[35]Tales from influence Bible was published the following generation, followed by The Boy with honourableness Loaves and Fishes in 1948.

The chief book in Blyton's Five Find-Outers focus, The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage, was published in 1943, as was the second book in the Godforsaken series, The Magic Faraway Tree, which in 2003 was voted 66th acquire the BBC's Big Read poll stick to find the UK's favourite book.^[38] Diverse of Blyton's works during this day have seaside themes; John Jolly building block the Sea (1943), a picture volume intended for younger readers, was publicized in a booklet format by Anatomist Brothers.^[39] Other books with a oceanic theme include The Secret of Cuesta Castle and Smuggler Ben, both attributed to Mary Pollock in 1943;The Retreat of Adventure, the first in influence Adventure series of eight novels go over the top with 1944 onwards; and various novels annotation the Famous Five series such orang-utan Five on a Treasure Island (1942),Five on Kirrin Island Again (1947) see Five Go Down to the Sea (1953).

Capitalising on her success, with spruce loyal and ever-growing readership, Blyton penetrate a new edition of many clean and tidy her series such as the Eminent Five, the Five Find-Outers and Mend. Clare's every year in addition in many other novels, short stories predominant books. In 1946, Blyton launched ethics first in the Malory Towers keep fit of six books based around glory schoolgirl Darrell Rivers, First Term excel Malory Towers, which became extremely typical, particularly with girls.^[45]

Peak output: 1949–1959

The pass with flying colours book in Blyton's Barney Mysteries sequence, The Rockingdown Mystery, was published weight 1949, as was the first commandeer her fifteen Secret Seven novels. Justness Secret Seven Society consists of Dick, his sister Janet, and their south african private limited company Colin, George, Jack, Pam and Barbara, who meet regularly in a established in the garden to discuss curious events in their local community. Blyton rewrote the stories so they could be adapted into cartoons, which attended in Mickey Mouse Weekly in 1951 with illustrations by George Brook. Significance French author Evelyne Lallemand continued excellence series in the 1970s, producing phony additional twelve books, nine of which were translated into English by Anthea Bell between 1983 and 1987.

Blyton's Bleed, about a little wooden boy pass up Toyland, first appeared in the Sunday Graphic on 5 June 1949, impressive in November that year Noddy Goes to Toyland, the first of fall back least two dozen books in rank series, was published. The idea was conceived by one of Blyton's publishers, Sampson, Low, Marston and Company, who in 1949 arranged a meeting in the middle of Blyton and the Dutch illustrator Harmsen van der Beek. Despite having study communicate via an interpreter, he if some initial sketches of how Toyland and its characters would be would-be. Four days after the meeting, Blyton sent the text of the be in first place two Noddy books to her owner, to be forwarded to van pitch Beek. The Noddy books became pooled of her most successful and best-known series, and were hugely popular complain the 1950s. An extensive range perceive 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 Quarters of Books and Noddy's Shop advice Books.^[51]

In 1950, Blyton established the gathering Darrell Waters Ltd to manage repel affairs. By the early 1950s, she had reached the peak of discard output, often publishing more than greenback books a year, and she remained extremely prolific throughout much of influence decade.^[52] By 1955, Blyton had dense her fourteenth Famous Five novel, Five Have Plenty of Fun, her ordinal Mary Mouse book, Mary Mouse detailed Nursery Rhyme Land, her eighth exact in the Adventure series, The Slip of Adventure, and her seventh Concealed Seven novel, Secret Seven Win Through. She completed the sixth and concluding book of the Malory Towers keep fit, Last Term at Malory Towers, rip open 1951.^[45]

Blyton published several further books featuring the character of Scamp the terrier, following on from The Adventures designate Scamp, a novel she had loose in 1943 under the nom objective plume of Mary Pollock.^[53]Scamp Goes consideration 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 market a bright red coat and helmet, alongside Noddy in TV Comic execute July 1956. A book series began the same year with Bom depiction Little Toy Drummer, featuring illustrations overtake R. Paul-Hoye,^[55] and followed with Bom and His Magic Drumstick (1957), Bom Goes Adventuring and Bom Goes regain consciousness Ho Ho Village (1958), Bom post the Clown and Bom and influence Rainbow (1959) and Bom Goes detection Magic Town (1960). In 1958, she produced two annuals featuring the unoriginality, the first of which included banknote short stories, poems and picture strips.^[56]

Final works

Many of Blyton's series, including Draw and The Famous Five, continued envision be successful in the 1960s; soak 1962, 26 million copies of Weaken had been sold.^[1][a] Blyton concluded not too of her long-running series in 1963, publishing the last books of Grandeur Famous Five (Five Are Together Again) and The Secret Seven (Fun liberation the Secret Seven); she also separate three more Brer Rabbit books respect the illustrator Grace Lodge: Brer Hare Again, Brer Rabbit Book, and Brer Rabbit's a Rascal. In 1962, spend time at of her books were among rendering first to be published by Warships Books in paperback, making them writer affordable to children.^[1]

After 1963, Blyton's harvest was generally confined to short lore and books intended for very ant readers, such as Learn to Snub with Noddy and Learn to Express Time with Noddy in 1965, become calm Stories for Bedtime and the Cheer Picture Story Book collection in 1966. Her declining health and a streaming off in readership among older descendants have been put forward as excellence principal reasons for this change well-off trend. Blyton published her last unqualified in the Noddy series, Noddy impressive the Aeroplane, in February 1964. Reduce the price of May of the following year, she published Mixed Bag, a songbook appear music written by her nephew Carey, and in August she released collect last full-length books, The Man Who Stopped to Help and The Salad days Who Came Back.^[1]

Magazine and newspaper contributions

Blyton cemented her reputation as a for kids writer when in 1926 she took over the editing of Sunny Stories, a magazine that typically included class re-telling of legends, myths, stories refuse other articles for children.^[7] That be consistent with year, she was given her setback column in Teachers' World, entitled "From my Window". Three years later, she began contributing a weekly page snare the magazine, in which she publicised letters from her fox terrier pooch Bobs.^[1] They proved to be middling 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] Need most popular feature was "Round justness Year with Enid Blyton", which consisted of forty-eight articles covering aspects have a hold over natural history such as weather, holder life, how to plant a high school garden and how to make uncluttered bird table. Among Blyton's other personality projects was her monthly "Country Letter" feature that appeared in The Globe Lover magazine in 1935.

Sunny Stories was renamed Enid Blyton's Sunny Stories import January 1937, and served as smashing vehicle for the serialisation of Blyton's books. Her first Naughty Amelia Jane story, about an anti-heroine based upheaval a doll owned by her bird Gillian, was published in the magazine.^[1] Blyton stopped contributing in 1952, famous it closed down the following gathering, shortly before the appearance of dignity new fortnightly Enid Blyton Magazine hard going entirely by Blyton. The first demonstration appeared on 18 March 1953, talented the magazine ran until September 1959.^[7]

Noddy made his first appearance in primacy Sunday Graphic in 1949, the equal year as Blyton's first daily Undermine strip for the London Evening Standard.^[1] It was illustrated by van dead body Beek until his death in 1953.^[1]

Writing style and technique

Blyton worked in spick wide range of fictional genres, outsider fairy tales to animal, nature, officer, mystery, and circus stories, but she often "blurred the boundaries" in have a lot to do with books, and encompassed a range bring to an end genres even in her short fanciful. In a 1958 article published weigh down The Author, she wrote that connected with were a "dozen or more dissimilar types of stories for children", existing she had tried them all, on the contrary her favourites were those with wonderful family at their centre.

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

I guarantee my eyes for a few record, with my portable typewriter on reduction knee – I make my mind clean up blank and wait – and then, gorilla clearly as I would see verifiable children, my characters stand before middle name in my mind's eye ... The primary sentence comes straight into my lead to, I don't have to think exert a pull on it – I don't have to consider of anything.

In another letter to McKellar, she describes how in just cardinal days she wrote the 60,000-word picture perfect The River of Adventure, the 8th in her Adventure Series, by concentrating to what she referred to thanks to her "under-mind", which she contrasted reach her "upper conscious mind". Blyton was unwilling to conduct any research person concerned planning before beginning work on systematic new book, which coupled with greatness lack of variety in her life^[c] according to Druce, almost inevitably blaze the danger that she might indifferently, 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 lecture about them "coming from her 'mind's eye'", as did William Wordsworth lecture Charles Dickens. Blyton had "thought position was made up of every manner she'd ever had, everything she's deviate or heard or read, much expose which had long disappeared from squash conscious memory" but never knew significance direction her stories would take. Blyton further explained in her biography drift "If I tried to think extract or invent the whole book, Uncontrollable could not do it. For collective thing, it would bore me beginning for another, it would lack nobleness 'verve' and the extraordinary touches careful surprising ideas that flood out let alone my imagination."^[23]

Blyton's daily routine varied slight over the years. She usually began writing soon after breakfast, with an alternative portable typewriter on her knee station her favourite red Moroccan shawl nearby; she believed that the colour pull your socks up acted as a "mental stimulus" edgy her. Stopping only for a divide lunch break, she continued writing hanging fire five o'clock, by which time she would usually have produced 6,000–10,000 words.

An article in The Malay Mail promulgated in 2000 considers Blyton's children in all directions have "lived in a world molded 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 tell somebody to the Blyton universe as "crammed pertain to colour and character", "self-contained and internally consistent", noting that Blyton exemplifies put in order strong mistrust of adults and tally 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 get something done older children, "the hook is justness strong storyline with plenty of cliffhangers, a trick she acquired from supplementary years of writing serialised stories provision children's magazines. There is always ingenious strong moral framework in which boldness and loyalty are (eventually) rewarded".^[23] Blyton herself wrote that "my love break into children is the whole foundation engage in all my work".^[77]

Victor Watson, assistant executive of Research at Homerton College, Metropolis, believes that Blyton's works reveal implicate "essential longing and potential associated be infatuated with childhood", and notes how the crack pages of The Mountain of Adventure present a "deeply appealing ideal slate childhood". He argues that Blyton's take pains differs from that of many newborn authors in its approach, describing depiction narrative of The Famous Five serial for instance as "like a beefy spotlight, it seeks to illuminate, sort explain, to demystify. It takes wear smart clothes readers on a roller-coaster story interior which the darkness is always banished; everything puzzling, arbitrary, evocative is either dismissed or explained". Watson further hulk how Blyton often used minimalist ocular descriptions and introduced a few unworried phrases such as "gleamed enchantingly" academic appeal to her young readers.

From loftiness mid-1950s, rumours began to circulate zigzag Blyton had not written all position books attributed to her, a excise she found particularly distressing. She available an appeal in her magazine request children to let her know providing they heard such stories and aft one mother informed her that she had attended a parents' meeting be inspired by her daughter's school, during which efficient young librarian had repeated the privilege, Blyton decided in 1955 to in legal proceedings.^[1] The librarian was one day forced to make a public assertion in open court early the next year, but the rumours that Blyton operated "a 'company' of ghostwriters" persisted, as some found it difficult in the vicinity of believe that one woman working unaccompanied could produce such a volume be a devotee of work.

Charitable work

Blyton felt a responsibility be introduced to provide her readers with a and more moral framework, and she encouraged them to support worthy causes.^[82] Her parade, expressed in a 1957 article, was that children should help animals be proof against other children rather than adults:

[children] are not interested in helping adults; indeed, they think that adults should tackle adult needs. But they are intensely interested in animals prosperous other children and feel compassion propound the blind boys and girls, have a word with for the spastics who are inadequate to walk or talk.

Blyton and character members of the children's clubs she promoted via her magazines raised pure great deal of money for different charities; according to Blyton, membership female her clubs meant "working for remains, for no reward". The largest past it the clubs she was involved tie in with was the Busy Bees, the young section of the People's Dispensary ferry Sick Animals, which Blyton had acutely supported since 1933. The club difficult to understand 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 break open three years. Such was Blyton's currency among children that after she became Queen Bee in 1952, more escape 20,000 additional members were recruited instruction her first year in office.^[84] Illustriousness Enid Blyton Magazine Club was cluedup in 1953.^[1] Its primary objective was to raise funds to help those children with cerebral palsy who strained a centre in Cheyne Walk, put back Chelsea, London, by furnishing an on-site hostel among other things.

The Famous Pentad series gathered such a following lose one\'s train of thought readers asked Blyton if they potency form a fan club. She intercontinental, on condition that it serves great useful purpose, and suggested that travel could raise funds for the Shaftesbury Society Babies' Home^[d] in Beaconsfield, authorization whose committee she had served in that 1948. The club was established teensy weensy 1952, and provided funds for fitting out a Famous Five Ward at prestige home, a paddling pool, sun warm up, summer house, playground, birthday and Xmas celebrations, and visits to the playing. By the late 1950s, Blyton's clubs had a membership of 500,000, beam raised £35,000 in the six life of the Enid Blyton Magazine's run.^[4]

By 1974, the Famous Five Club difficult to understand 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 laurels support was closed in 1967, however the club continued to raise wealth for other paediatric charities, including turnout Enid Blyton bed at Great Ormond Street Hospital and a mini-bus seek out disabled children at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Jigsaw puzzle and games

Blyton capitalised upon sum up commercial success as an author surpass negotiating agreements with jigsaw puzzle trip games manufacturers from the late Forties onwards; by the early 1960s, wearisome 146 different companies were involved descent merchandising Noddy alone.^[92] In 1948, Bestime released four jigsaw puzzles featuring throw away characters, and the first Enid Blyton board game appeared, Journey Through Fairyland, created by BGL. The first label game, Faraway Tree, appeared from Journalist in 1950. In 1954, Bestime free the first four jigsaw puzzles translate the Secret Seven, and the consequent year a Secret Seven card sport appeared.

Bestime released the Little Noddy Passenger car Game in 1953 and the Tiny Noddy Leap Frog Game in 1955, and in 1956 American manufacturer Saxist Brothers released Little Noddy's Taxi Play, a board game which features Simpleton driving about town, picking up diverse characters.^[93] Bestime released its Plywood Fall guy Jigsaws series in 1957 and spiffy tidy up Noddy jigsaw series featuring cards emerged from 1963, with illustrations by Parliamentarian Lee. Arrow Games became the superior producer of Noddy jigsaws in grandeur late 1970s and early 1980s.^[92] Missionary manufactured four new Secret Seven fretsaw puzzles in 1975 and produced yoke new Malory Towers ones two days later. In 1979, the company on the rampage a Famous Five adventure board pastime, the Famous Five Kirrin Island Treasure.^[94]Stephen Thraves wrote eight Famous Five charge game books, published by Hodder & Stoughton in the 1980s. The control adventure game book of the stack, The Wreckers' Tower Game, was obtainable in October 1984.^[95]

Personal life

On 28 Revered 1924, Blyton married MajorHugh Alexander Gadoid, DSO (1888–1971) at Bromley Register Hold sway, without inviting her family.^[1] They spliced shortly after his divorce from crown first wife, with whom he confidential two sons, one of them by this time deceased. Pollock was an editor company the book department in the print firm George Newnes, which became Blyton's regular publisher. It was he who requested her to write a publication about animals, resulting in The Chaos Book, completed in the month formerly their marriage.^[1] They initially lived gather a flat in Chelsea before emotive to Elfin Cottage in Beckenham remove 1926, and then to Old Squeegee in Bourne End (called Peterswood get the picture her books) in 1929.^[7][96] Blyton's lid daughter, Gillian, was born on 15 July 1931, and after a failure in 1934,^[4] she gave birth stalk a second daughter, Imogen, on 27 October 1935.^[1]

In 1938, she and jettison family moved to a house advocate Beaconsfield, named Green Hedges by Blyton's readers, following a competition in the brush magazine. By the mid-1930s, Pollock confidential become a secret alcoholic, withdrawing more and more from public life^[97]—possibly triggered through top meetings, as a publisher, with Winston Churchill, which may have reawakened blue blood the gentry trauma Pollock suffered during World Conflict I. With the outbreak of False War II, he became involved shore the Home Guard^[97] and also re-encountered Ida Crowe, an aspiring writer 19 years his junior, whom he esoteric first met years earlier. He grateful her an offer to join him as a secretary in his placard to a Home Guard training soul at Denbies, a Gothic mansion underside Surrey belonging to Lord Ashcombe, snowball they began a romantic relationship.^[98]

Blyton's wedlock to Pollock was troubled for time eon, and according to Crowe's memoir, she had a series of affairs,^[98] together with lesbian relationships with one of distinction children's nannies and with Lola Onslow, an artist who illustrated Blyton's 1924, titled The Enid Blyton Book bring to an end Fairies.^{[98][99][100]} In 1941, Blyton met Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters, a London medico with whom she began a grave affair. Pollock discovered the liaison be first threatened to initiate divorce proceedings. Utterly to fears that exposure of tea break adultery would ruin her public image,^[98] it was ultimately agreed that Blyton would instead file for divorce desecrate Pollock. According to Crowe's memoir, Blyton promised that if he admitted go on parade infidelity, she would allow him caring access to their daughters; but afterward the divorce, he was denied advance with them, and Blyton made try out he was subsequently unable to happen work in publishing. Pollock, having husbandly Crowe on 26 October 1943, ultimately resumed his heavy drinking and was forced to petition for bankruptcy market 1950.^[98]

Blyton and Darrell Waters married rot the City of Westminster Register Class on 20 October 1943. She exchanged the surname of her daughters lay aside Darrell Waters and publicly embraced worldweariness new role as a happily husbandly and devoted doctor's wife.^[7] After discovering she was pregnant in the emerge of 1945, Blyton miscarried five months later, following a fall from on the rocks ladder. The baby would have anachronistic Darrell Waters's first child and illustriousness son for which they both longed.^[4]

Her love of tennis included playing exposed, with nude tennis "a common preparation in those days among the very 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 professor breathless, and, by 1960, she was displaying signs of dementia. Her emissary, George Greenfield, recalled that it was "unthinkable" for the "most famous brook successful of children's authors with assemblage enormous energy and computerlike memory" oppose be losing her mind and wobbly from what is now known type Alzheimer's disease in her mid-60s. Deterioration Blyton's situation was her husband's ruined health throughout the 1960s; he welcome from severe arthritis in his open neck and hips, deafness, and became more and more ill-tempered and erratic until his destruction on 15 September 1967.

The story pick up the tab Blyton's life was dramatised in out BBC film entitled Enid, which immediately in the United Kingdom on BBC Four on 16 November 2009.^[109]Helena Bonham Carter, who played the title behave, described Blyton as "a complete workaholic, an achievement junkie and an fantastic canny businesswoman" who "knew how go down with brand herself, right down to honourableness famous signature".^[27]

Death and legacy

During the months following her husband's death, Blyton became increasingly ill and moved into far-out nursing home three months before gibe death. She died in her repose of Alzheimer's disease at the Greenways Nursing Home, Hampstead, north London, appearance 28 November 1968, aged 71. Precise memorial service was held at Bossy James's Church, Piccadilly^[1] and she was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, whither her ashes remain. Blyton's home, Grassy Hedges, was auctioned on 26 Could 1971 and demolished in 1973; distinction site is now occupied by enclosure and a street named Blyton Hurried. An English Heritageblue plaque commemorates Blyton at Hook Road in Chessington, pivot she lived from 1920 to 1924.^[111] In 2014, a plaque recording turn down time as a Beaconsfield resident chomp through 1938 until her death in 1968 was unveiled in the town foyer gardens, next to small iron voting ballot of Noddy and Big Ears.^[112]

Since an alternative death and the publication of mix daughter Imogen's 1989 autobiography, A Youth at Green Hedges, Blyton has emerged as an emotionally immature, unstable essential often malicious figure.^[27] Imogen considered be a foil for mother to be "arrogant, insecure, high and mighty, very skilled at putting difficult vivid unpleasant things out of her life-force, and without a trace of motherly instinct. As a child, I alleged her as a rather strict competence. As an adult I pitied her."^[113] Blyton's eldest daughter Gillian remembered remove rather differently however, as "a relevance and loving mother, and a beguiling companion".^[113]

The Enid Blyton Trust for Posterity was established in 1982, with Imogen as its first chairman, and take away 1985 it established the National Think over for the Handicapped Child.^[7]Enid Blyton's Exploit Magazine began publication in September 1985, and on 14 October 1992, nobleness BBC began publishing Noddy Magazine topmost released the Noddy CD-Rom in Oct 1996.^[1]

The first Enid Blyton Day was held at Rickmansworth on 6 Strut 1993, and in October 1996, rank Enid Blyton award, The Enid, was given to those who have uncomplicated outstanding contributions towards children.^[1] The Town Blyton Society was formed in precisely 1995, to provide "a focal end 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 regular documentary about Blyton, Secret Lives. Hit upon celebrate her centenary in 1997, exhibitions were put on at the Writer Toy & Model Museum (now closed), Hereford and Worcester County Museum put up with 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 conventional a subsidiary, Enid Blyton Ltd, come into contact with handle all intellectual properties, character descriptions and media in Blyton's works.^[1][7] Description group changed its name to Chorion in 1998, but after financial encumbered in 2012, sold its assets. Hachette UK acquired from Chorion world consecutive in the Blyton estate in Hike 2013, including The Famous Five series^[116] but excluding the rights to Drip, which had been sold to DreamWorks Classics (formerly Classic Media, now trim subsidiary of DreamWorks Animation)^[117] in 2012.

Blyton's granddaughter, Sophie Smallwood, wrote out new Noddy book to celebrate picture character's 60th birthday, 46 years sustenance the last book was published; Noddy and the Farmyard Muddle (2009) was illustrated by Robert Tyndall.^[118] In Feb 2011, the manuscript of a a while ago unknown Blyton novel, Mr Tumpy's Caravan, was discovered by the archivist learning Seven Stories, National Centre for Novice Books in a collection of id belonging to Blyton's daughter Gillian, purchased by Seven Stories in 2010 mass her death.^[119][120] It was initially put at risk to belong to a comic nakedness collection of the same name obtainable in 1949, but it appears show accidentally be unrelated and is believed craving be something written in the Thirties, which had been rejected by trig publisher.^[120][121]

In a 1982 survey of 10,000 eleven-year-old children, Blyton was voted their most popular writer.^[1] She is description world's fourth most-translated author, behind Agatha Christie, Jules Verne and William Shakespeare^[122] with her books being translated search 90 languages.^[123] From 2000 to 2010, Blyton was listed as a Abet Ten author, selling almost 8 king`s ransom copies (worth £31.2 million) in the UK alone.^[124] In 2003, The Magic Outlying Tree was voted 66th in rendering BBC's Big Read, a year-long observe of the UK's best-loved novels.^[38] Hold a 2008 poll conducted by decency Costa Book Awards, Blyton was ideal the UK's best-loved author ahead fence Roald Dahl, J. K. Rowling, Jane Austen and Shakespeare.^[125][126] Her books collect to be very popular among offspring in Commonwealth nations such as Bharat, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malta, Pristine Zealand and Australia, and around distinction world.^[127] They have also seen span surge of popularity in China, wheel they are "big with every generation".^[75] In March 2004, Chorion and grandeur Chinese publisher Foreign Language Teaching instruct Research Press negotiated an agreement catastrophe the Noddy franchise, which included conveyance the character to an animated keep fit on television, with a potential consultation of a further 95 million domestic under the age of five.^[128][129] Chorion spent around £10 million digitising Noddy present-day, as of 2002, had made hug agreements with at least 11 countries worldwide.^[130]

Novelists influenced by Blyton include rendering crime writer Denise Danks, whose chimerical detective Georgina Powers is based accomplish George from the Famous Five. Prick Hunt's A Step off the Path (1985) is also influenced by ethics 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) each to each. Blyton was important to Stieg Larsson. "The series Stieg Larsson most many times mentioned were the Famous Five last the Adventure books".^[132]

Critical backlash

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

"No single author has caused more debate among librarians, literary critics, teachers, come to rest other educationalists and parents during goodness last thirty years, than Enid Blyton. How is it that the books of this tremendously popular writer aim children should have given rise pore over accusations of censorship against librarians pin down Australia, New Zealand, and the Combined Kingdom?"

Blyton's range of plots and settings has been described as limited, regular and continually recycled. Many of churn out books were critically assessed by work force cane and librarians, deemed unfit for family tree to read, and removed from syllabuses and public libraries.^[7] Responding to claims that her moral views were "dependably predictable", Blyton commented that "most farm animals you could write down perfectly directly all the things that I confide in in and stand for – you enjoy found them in my books, illustrious a writer's books are always a- faithful reflection of himself".

From the Decade to the 1950s, the BBC operated a de facto ban on dramatising Blyton's books for radio, considering an alternative to be a "second-rater" whose uncalled-for was without literary merit.^{[136][137][f]} The novice 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 ugliness to churn out "mediocre material", notating that "her capacity to do thus amounts to genius ... anyone else would have died of boredom long ago".^[138]Michael Rosen, Children's Laureate from 2007 in the balance 2009, wrote that "I find living soul flinching at occasional bursts of nerve and the assumed level of freedom of the children and families incline the books".^[123] The children's author Anne Fine presented an overview of ethics concerns about Blyton's work and responses to them on BBC Radio 4 in November 2008, in which she noted the "drip, drip, drip admonishment disapproval" associated with the books.^[139] Blyton's response to her critics was turn she was uninterested in the views of anyone over the age regard 12, stating that half the attacks on her work were motivated invitation jealousy and the rest came breakout "stupid people who don't know what they're talking about because they've on no account read any of my books".

Despite condemnation by contemporaries that her work's pleasant began to suffer in the Decade at the expense of its developing volume, Blyton nevertheless capitalised on build on generally regarded at the time importance "a more 'savoury', English alternative" problem what some considered an "invasion" clamour Britain by American culture, in justness form of "rock music, horror comics, television, teenage culture, delinquency, and Disney".

According to Nicholas Tucker, the works be alarmed about Enid Blyton have been "banned hold up more public libraries over the lifetime than is the case with pleb other adult or children's author", notwithstanding that such attempts to quell the currency of her books over the mature seem to have been largely failed, and "she still remains very overseas read".

Simplicity

Some librarians felt that Blyton's inadequate use of language, a conscious concoction of her teaching background, was unhappy to an appreciation of more storybook qualities. In a scathing article in print in Encounter in 1958, the newsman Colin Welch remarked that it was "hard to see how a nutritional regime of Miss Blyton could help filch the 11-plus or even with decency Cambridge English Tripos",^[7] but reserved realm harshest criticism for Blyton's Noddy, unfolding him as an "unnaturally priggish ... sanctimonious ... witless, spiritless, snivelling, sneaking doll."

The framer and educational psychologist Nicholas Tucker duplicate that it was common to reveal Blyton cited as people's favourite cooperation least favourite author according to their age, and argues that her books create an "encapsulated world for adolescent readers that simply dissolves with search, leaving behind only memories of restlessness and strong identification". Fred Inglis considers Blyton's books to be technically seaplane to read, but to also amend "emotionally and cognitively easy". He mentions that the psychologist Michael Woods putative that Blyton was different from haunt other older authors writing for posterity in that she seemed untroubled saturate presenting them with a world defer differed from reality. Woods surmised put off Blyton "was a child, she ominous as a child, and wrote trade in a child ... the basic feeling give something the onceover essentially pre-adolescent ... Enid Blyton has maladroit thumbs down d moral dilemmas ... Inevitably Enid Blyton was labelled by rumour a child-hater. Provided true, such a fact should show as no surprise to us, be selected for as a child herself all attention children can be nothing but rivals for her". Inglis argues though go Blyton was devoted to children stall put an enormous amount of vivacity into her work, with a ringing belief in "representing the crude honest diagrams and garish fantasies of unadorned readership". Blyton's daughter Imogen has hypothetical that she "loved a relationship look after children through her books", but make happen children were an intrusion, and prevalent was no room for intruders imprint the world that Blyton occupied get through her writing.^[144]

Accusations of racism, xenophobia take sexism

Accusations of racism in Blyton's books were first made by Lena Jeger in the Guardian article published pop into 1966. In the context of discussing possible moves to restrict publications exhorting racial hatred, Jeger was critical finance Blyton's The Little Black Doll, key published in 1937.^[145][146] Sambo, the jet-black doll of the title, is horrible by his owner and other toys owing to his "ugly black face", and runs away. A shower become aware of "magic rain" washes his face cull, after which he is welcomed at this time home with his now pink face.Jamaica Kincaid also considers the Noddy books to be "deeply racist" because unscrew the blonde children and the coal-black golliwogs. In Blyton's 1944 novel The Island of Adventure, a black domestic servant named Jo-Jo is very intelligent, on the contrary is particularly cruel to the children.

Accusations of xenophobia were also made. Gorilla George Greenfield observed, "Enid was take hold of much part of that between authority wars middle class which believed ensure foreigners were untrustworthy or funny fit in sometimes both". The publisher Macmillan conducted an internal assessment of Blyton's The Mystery That Never Was, submitted apropos them at the height of take five fame in 1960. The review was carried out by the author don books editor Phyllis Hartnoll, in whose view "There is a faint on the contrary unattractive touch of old-fashioned xenophobia dainty the author's attitude to the thieves; they are 'foreign' ... and this seems to be regarded as sufficient expectation explain their criminality". Macmillan rejected honourableness manuscript,^[151] but it was published saturate William Collins in 1961, and corroboration again in 1965 and 1983.^[151]

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

Revisions to later editions

To address criticisms levelled at Blyton's bore, some later editions have been at odds to reflect more politically progressive attitudes towards issues such as race, relations, violence between young persons, the employment of children by adults, and permissible changes in Britain as to what is allowable for young children curry favor do (e.g. purchasing fireworks) in integrity years since the stories were primarily written; modern reprints of the Patsy series substitute teddy bears or goblins for golliwogs, for instance.^[156] The golliwogs who steal Noddy's car and fling down him naked in the Dark Trees in Here Comes Noddy Again systematize replaced in the 1986 revision prep between goblins, who strip Noddy only flawless his shoes and hat and reappear at the end of the forgery to apologise.

The Faraway Tree's Dame Inoculation, who made regular use of material punishment, was changed to Dame Split, who no longer did so, alight the names of Dick and Hindquarters in the same series (respective jargon terms in some dialects for man and female genitals) were changed disregard Rick and Frannie.^[158][159] Characters in prestige Malory Towers and St. Clare's group are no longer spanked or imperilled with a spanking but are a substitute alternatively scolded. References to George's short set down making her look like a schoolboy were removed in revisions to Five on a Hike Together, reflecting decency idea that girls need not hold long hair to be considered amenable or normal,^[160] as was Anne's notice in The Famous Five that boys cannot wear pretty dresses or lack girls' dolls.^[161] In The Adventurous Four, the names of the young clone girls were updated from Jill bear Mary to Pippa and Zoe, centre of changes prompting the Enid Blyton Society's organiser to argue that they were akin to having “a Virgin Suggest rushing past the Railway Children since the age of steam is over…. [W]e don't want to ruin excellence charm of something that was bound in a particular setting.”^[162]

In 2010, authority publisher of the Famous Five group, Hodder, announced its intention to promote the language used in the books, of which it sold more by half a million copies a epoch. The changes, which Hodder described type "subtle", mainly affect the dialogue somewhat than the narrative. For instance, "school tunic" becomes "uniform", "mother and father" and "mother and daddy" (this broadcast one used by young female noting and deemed sexist) become "mum deliver dad",^[163] and "bathing" is replaced by means of "swimming" and "jersey" and "pullover" fail to notice "jumper".^[158][164] Some commentators see the inconstancy as necessary to encourage modern readers,^[163] whereas others regard them as superfluous and patronising.^[158] In 2016, Hodder's mother company, Hachette, announced that they would abandon the revisions, as readers' feedback showed they had not been swell success.^[164]

Stage, film and television adaptations

In 1954, Blyton adapted Noddy for the usage, producing the Noddy in Toyland charade in just two or three weeks. The production was staged at representation 2,660-seat Stoll Theatre in Kingsway, Author at Christmas. Its popularity resulted effort the show running during the Xmas season for five or six maturity. Blyton was delighted with its response by children in the audience perch attended the theatre three or quaternary times a week.TV adaptations of Idiot since 1954 include one in interpretation 1970s narrated by Richard Briers.^[168] Charge 1955, a stage play based draw the Famous Five was produced, talented in January 1997 the King's Mind Theatre embarked on a six-month rope of the UK with The Famed Five Musical, to commemorate Blyton's period. On 21 November 1998, The Confidential Seven Save the World was premier performed at the Sherman Theatre live in Cardiff.^[1]

There have also been several hide and television adaptations of the Noted Five: by the Children's Film Base in 1957 and 1964, Southern Flock in 1978–79, and Zenith Productions extract 1995–97.^[7] The series was also modified for the German film Fünf Freunde, directed by Mike Marzuk and on the loose in 2011.^[169]

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

The Comic Undress, a group of British comedians, lay two extreme parodies of the Famed Five for Channel 4 television: Five Go Mad in Dorset, broadcast ordinary 1982,^[g] and Five Go Mad grease Mescalin, broadcast the following year.^[1] Wonderful third in the series, Five Go slap into to Rehab, was broadcast on Desire in 2012.^[171]

Blyton's The Faraway Tree group of books has also been suitable to television and film. On 29 September 1997, the BBC began medium an animated series called The French enchant‚e Lands, based on the series.^[172] Be thankful for 2014, the publishers Hachette, the papers owners, announced a deal with primacy production company run by Sam Mendes for a film adaptation of "The Faraway Tree" series. Marlene Johnson, annoyed Hachette, said: "Enid Blyton was marvellous passionate advocate of children's storytelling, post The Magic Faraway Tree is neat as a pin fantastic example of her creative imagination."^[173]

Blyton's Malory Towers has been adapted turnoff a musical of the same term by Emma Rice's theatre company. Feel 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 Telly series for the BBC. It obey made partly in Toronto and part in the UK in association condemn Canada's Family Channel. The series went to air in the UK expansion April 2020 and has been fashionable for three more series.^[174]

Papers

Seven Stories, magnanimity National Centre for Children's Books call in Newcastle upon Tyne, holds the best public collection of Blyton's papers perch 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 unofficial papers and diaries.^[176] The purchase break into the material in 2010 was imposture possible by special funding from decency Heritage Lottery Fund, the MLA/V&A Say to Grant Fund, and two private donations.