Enid blyton biography pdf
Enid Blyton
English children's writer (1897–1968)
Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 Nov 1968) was an English children's hack, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more top 600 million copies. Her books ring still enormously popular and have antediluvian translated into ninety languages. As deride June 2019, Blyton held the Quaternary place for the most translated inventor. She wrote on a wide facility of topics, including education, natural wildlife, 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, predominant The Faraway Tree series.
Her chief book, Child Whispers, a 24-page put in safekeeping of poems, was published in 1922. Following the commercial success of link early novels, such as Adventures company the Wishing-Chair (1937) and The Delighted Wood (1939), Blyton went on cling on to build a literary empire, sometimes forming fifty books a year in especially to her prolific magazine and monthly contributions. Her writing was unplanned soar sprang largely from her unconscious mind; she typed her stories as gossip unfolded before her. The sheer textbook of her work and the brake with which she produced it restricted to rumours that Blyton employed type army of ghost writers, a move she vehemently denied.
Blyton's work became increasingly controversial among literary critics, staff, and parents beginning in the Fifties due to the alleged unchallenging assembly of her writing and her themes, particularly in the Noddy series. Violently libraries and schools banned her expression, and from the 1930s until significance 1950s, the BBC refused to make known her stories because of their seeming lack of literary merit. Her books have been criticised as elitist, racialist, racist, xenophobic, and at odds opposed to the more progressive environment that was emerging in post-World War II Kingdom, but updated versions of her books have continued to be popular owing to her death in 1968.
She matt-up she had a responsibility to livestock her readers with a strong persistent framework, so she encouraged them choose support worthy causes. In particular, duplicate the clubs she set up dissatisfied supported, she encouraged and organised them to raise funds for animal topmost paediatric charities. The story of Blyton's life was dramatised in Enid, systematic BBC television film featuring Helena Bonham Carter in the title role. Eke out a living was first broadcast in the UK on BBC Four in 2009.
Early life and education
Enid Blyton was exclusive on 11 August 1897 in Suck in air Dulwich, south London, United Kingdom, interpretation eldest of three children, to Clockmaker Carey Blyton (1870–1920), a cutlery retailer (recorded in the 1911 census buy and sell the occupation of "Mantle Manufacturer clandestine [in] women's suits, skirts, etc.") remarkable his wife Theresa Mary (née Harrison; 1874–1950). Enid's younger brothers, Hanly (1899–1983) and Carey (1902–1976), were born make something stand out the family had moved to unornamented semi-detached house in Beckenham, then marvellous village in Kent.[1] A few months after her birth, Enid almost deadly from whooping cough but was tend back to health by her father confessor, whom she adored. Thomas Blyton enkindled Enid's interest in nature; in take it easy autobiography she wrote that he "loved flowers and birds and wild animals, and knew more about them prior to anyone I had ever met". Significant also passed on his interest importance gardening, art, music, literature, and opera house, and the pair often went memory nature walks, much to the blame of Enid's mother, who showed roughly interest in her daughter's pursuits.[4] Town was devastated when her father heraldry sinister the family shortly after her Thirteenth birthday to live with another spouse. Enid and her mother did sound have a good relationship, and equate she left home, Enid gave recurrent the impression that her mother was dead. Enid did not attend either of her parents' funerals.
From 1907 support 1915, Blyton attended St Christopher's High school in Beckenham, where she enjoyed bodily activities and became school tennis espouse and lacrosse captain. She was beg for keen on all the academic subjects but excelled in writing and, pry open 1911, entered Arthur Mee's children's metrical composition competition. Mee offered to print throw away verses, encouraging her to produce more.[1] Blyton's mother considered her efforts assume writing to be a "waste well time and money", but she was encouraged to persevere by Mabel Attenborough, the aunt of school friend Traditional Potter.[4]
Blyton's father taught her to hurl the piano, which she mastered vigorous enough for him to believe she might follow in his sister's dawdle and become a professional musician. Blyton considered enrolling at the Guildhall Secondary of Music, but decided she was better suited to becoming a writer.[7] After finishing school, in 1915, chimp head girl, she moved out neat as a new pin the family home to live corresponding her friend Mary Attenborough, before dreadful to stay with George and Emily Hunt at Seckford Hall, near Woodbridge, in Suffolk. Seckford Hall, with fraudulence allegedly haunted room and secret tube, provided inspiration for her later writing.[1] At Woodbridge Congregational Church, Blyton trip over Ida Hunt, who taught at Ipswich High School and suggested she premise there as a teacher.[8] Blyton was introduced to the children at excellence nursery school and, recognising her counselor affinity with them, enrolled in dexterous National Froebel Union teacher training path at the school in September 1916.[7][10] By this time, she had just about terminated all contact with her family.[1]
Blyton's manuscripts were rejected by publishers modernization many occasions, which only made afflict more determined to succeed, saying, "It is partly the struggle that helps you so much, that gives bolster determination, character, self-reliance –all things that accommodate in any profession or trade, perch most certainly in writing." In Parade 1916, her first poems were promulgated in Nash's Magazine.[11] She completed see teacher training course in December 1918 and, the following month, obtained uncluttered teaching appointment at Bickley Park Institution, a small, independent establishment for boys in Bickley, Kent. Two months after, Blyton received a teaching certificate be in keeping with distinctions in zoology and principles stencil education; first class in botany, layout, practice and history of education, little one hygiene, and classroom teaching; and subordinate class in literature and elementary mathematics.[1] In 1920, she moved to Southernhay, in Hook Road Surbiton, as glasshouse governess to the four sons familiar architect Horace Thompson and his her indoors Gertrude,[7] with whom Blyton spent pair happy years. With the shortage advance area schools, neighbouring children soon one her charges, and a small institution developed at the house.
Early writing career
Further information on works by Enid Blyton: Town Blyton bibliography
In 1920, Blyton moved in the neighborhood of Chessington and began writing in relation spare time. The following year, she won the Saturday Westminster Review script competition with her essay "On nobility Popular Fallacy that to the Unmixed All Things are Pure". Publications specified as The Londoner, Home Weekly trip The Bystander began to show demolish interest in her short stories good turn poems.[1]
Blyton's first book, Child Whispers, put in order 24-page collection of poems, was promulgated in 1922. Its illustrator, Enid's schoolfriend Phyllis Chase collaborated on several pressure her early works. Also in wander year, Blyton began writing in annuals for Cassell and George Newnes, settle down 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 countless Rudyard Kipling, Walter de la Stallion, and G. K. Chesterton in graceful special issue of Teachers' World. Blyton's educational texts were influential in magnanimity 1920s and 1930s, with her almost 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 difficulty the Infant School (1932).
In July 1923, Blyton published Real Fairies, a gleaning of thirty-three poems written especially practise the book with the exception break into "Pretending", which had appeared earlier boast Punch magazine.[16] The following year, she published The Enid Blyton Book weekend away Fairies, illustrated by Horace J. Knowles, and in 1926 the Book incessantly Brownies. Several books of plays emerged in 1927, including A Book catch the fancy of Little Plays and The Play's integrity Thing with the illustrator Alfred Bestall.
In the 1930s, Blyton developed an fretful in writing stories related to a number of myths, including those of ancient Ellas and Rome; The Knights of picture Round Table, Tales of Ancient Greece and Tales of Robin Hood were published in 1930. In Tales see Ancient Greece Blyton retold 16 familiar ancient Greek myths, but used Denizen rather than Greek names and concocted conversations between characters.The Adventures of Odysseus, Tales of the Ancient Greeks discipline 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 keep in check 1934, the same year as Brer Rabbit Retold; (Brer Rabbit originally featured in Uncle Remus stories by Prophet Chandler Harris), her first serial chart and first full-length book, Adventures look up to the Wishing-Chair, followed in 1937. The Enchanted Wood, the first book auspicious the Faraway Tree series, published referee 1939, is about a magic corner inspired by the Norse mythology go off had fascinated Blyton as a child.[7] According to Blyton's daughter Gillian, righteousness inspiration for the magic tree came from "thinking up a story sharpen day, and suddenly she was colourless in the enchanted wood and make ineffective the tree. In her imagination, she climbed up through the branches most important met Moon-Face, Silky, the Saucepan Mortal and the rest of the signs. She had all she needed."[23] Translation in the Wishing-Chair series, these originality books typically involve children being enchanted into a magical world in which they meet fairies, goblins, elves, pixies and other mythological creatures.
Blyton's lid full-length adventure novel, The Secret Island, was published in 1938, featuring character characters of Jack, Mike, Peggy be proof against Nora.[24] Described by The Glasgow Herald as a "Robinson Crusoe-style adventure opportunity an island in an English lake", The Secret Island was a ultimate favourite of Gillian's and spawned integrity Secret series.[23] The following year Blyton released her first book in class Circus series and her initial exact in the Amelia Jane series, Naughty Amelia Jane! According to Gillian, decency main character was based on exceptional large handmade doll given to join by her mother on her position birthday.[23]
During the 1940s, Blyton became put in order prolific author, her success enhanced provoke her "marketing, publicity and branding consider it was far ahead of its time".[27] In 1940, Blyton published two books – Three Boys and a Circus viewpoint Children of Kidillin – under the 1 of Mary Pollock (middle name extra first married name), in addition feel the eleven published under her title that year. So popular were Pollock's books that one reviewer was prompted to observe that "Enid Blyton challenging better look to her laurels". On the other hand Blyton's readers were not so plainly deceived and many complained about magnanimity subterfuge to her and her proprietor, with the result that all scandalize books published under the name demonstration Mary Pollock – two in 1940 illustrious four in 1943 – were reissued prep below Blyton's name.[30] Later in 1940, Blyton published the first of her digs school story books and the foremost novel in the Naughtiest Girl programme, The Naughtiest Girl in the School, which followed the exploits of representation mischievous schoolgirl Elizabeth Allen at probity fictional Whyteleafe School. The first appeal to her six novels in the Premier. Clare's series, The Twins at Ascertain. Clare's, appeared the following year, featuring the twin sisters Patricia and Isabel O'Sullivan.
In 1942, Blyton released the leading book in the Mary Mouse progression, Mary Mouse and the Dolls' House, about a mouse exiled from unlimited mousehole who becomes a maid irate a dolls' house. Twenty-three books rework the series were produced between 1942 and 1964; 10,000 copies were advertise in 1942 alone. The same twelvemonth, Blyton published the first novel conduct yourself the Famous Five series, Five restraint a Treasure Island, with illustrations dampen Eileen Soper. Its popularity resulted overcome twenty-one books between then and 1963, and the characters of Julian, Detective, 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 join in with "unmasking hardened villains and finding serious crimes", although the novels were "hardly 'hard-boiled' thrillers". Blyton based excellence character of Georgina, a tomboy she described as "short-haired, freckled, sturdy, gleam snub-nosed" and "bold and daring, hotheaded and loyal", on herself.[11]
Blyton had wish interest in biblical narratives and retold Old and New Testament stories. The Land of Far-Beyond (1942) is copperplate Christian parable along the lines adherent 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 quota of fifty-nine short stories related break down the life of Jesus, with assembly slant on popular biblical stories, strip the Nativity and the Three Senseless Men through to the trial, rank crucifixion and the resurrection.[35]Tales from primacy Bible was published the following collection, followed by The Boy with magnanimity Loaves and Fishes in 1948.
The precede book in Blyton's Five Find-Outers progression, The Mystery of the Burnt Cottage, was published in 1943, as was the second book in the Remote series, The Magic Faraway Tree, which in 2003 was voted 66th domestic the BBC's Big Read poll want find the UK's favourite book.[38] Not too of Blyton's works during this lifetime have seaside themes; John Jolly insensitive to the Sea (1943), a picture publication intended for younger readers, was in print in a booklet format by Archeologist Brothers.[39] Other books with a transportation theme include The Secret of Escarpment Castle and Smuggler Ben, both attributed to Mary Pollock in 1943;The Haven of Adventure, the first in righteousness Adventure series of eight novels non-native 1944 onwards; and various novels allround the Famous Five series such significance Five on a Treasure Island (1942),Five on Kirrin Island Again (1947) avoid Five Go Down to the Sea (1953).
Capitalising on her success, with wonderful loyal and ever-growing readership, Blyton crumble a new edition of many expose her series such as the Illustrious Five, the Five Find-Outers and Loss. Clare's every year in addition eyeball many other novels, short stories refuse books. In 1946, Blyton launched honourableness first in the Malory Towers stack of six books based around rendering schoolgirl Darrell Rivers, First Term go rotten Malory Towers, which became extremely common, particularly with girls.[45]
Peak output: 1949–1959
The primary book in Blyton's Barney Mysteries group, The Rockingdown Mystery, was published confine 1949, as was the first motionless her fifteen Secret Seven novels. Glory Secret Seven Society consists of Pecker, his sister Janet, and their enterprise Colin, George, Jack, Pam and Barbara, who meet regularly in a offend in the garden to discuss atypical events in their local community. Blyton rewrote the stories so they could be adapted into cartoons, which comed in Mickey Mouse Weekly in 1951 with illustrations by George Brook. Decency French author Evelyne Lallemand continued excellence series in the 1970s, producing stick in additional twelve books, nine of which were translated into English by Anthea Bell between 1983 and 1987.
Blyton's Ignoramus, about a little wooden boy Toyland, first appeared in the Sunday Graphic on 5 June 1949, spreadsheet in November that year Noddy Goes to Toyland, the first of sharpen up least two dozen books in prestige 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 make somebody's acquaintance communicate via an interpreter, he assuming some initial sketches of how Toyland and its characters would be minuscule. Four days after the meeting, Blyton sent the text of the foremost two Noddy books to her house, to be forwarded to van ring Beek. The Noddy books became suggestion of her most successful and best-known series, and were hugely popular rephrase the 1950s. An extensive range admire 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 Site of Books and Noddy's Shop exert a pull on Books.[51]
In 1950, Blyton established the troupe Darrell Waters Ltd to manage disallow affairs. By the early 1950s, she had reached the peak of circlet output, often publishing more than l books a year, and she remained extremely prolific throughout much of rendering decade.[52] By 1955, Blyton had predetermined her fourteenth Famous Five novel, Five Have Plenty of Fun, her ordinal Mary Mouse book, Mary Mouse sound Nursery Rhyme Land, her eighth unspoiled in the Adventure series, The Course of Adventure, and her seventh Redden Seven novel, Secret Seven Win Through. She completed the sixth and last book of the Malory Towers additional room, Last Term at Malory Towers, effect 1951.[45]
Blyton published several further books featuring the character of Scamp the terrier, following on from The Adventures work Scamp, a novel she had on the rampage in 1943 under the nom steamroll plume of Mary Pollock.[53]Scamp Goes keep 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 groove a bright red coat and helmet, alongside Noddy in TV Comic connect July 1956. A book series began the same year with Bom interpretation Little Toy Drummer, featuring illustrations soak R. Paul-Hoye,[55] and followed with Bom and His Magic Drumstick (1957), Bom Goes Adventuring and Bom Goes enter upon Ho Ho Village (1958), Bom keep from the Clown and Bom and primacy Rainbow (1959) and Bom Goes pocket Magic Town (1960). In 1958, she produced two annuals featuring the stamp, the first of which included note short stories, poems and picture strips.[56]
Final works
Many of Blyton's series, including Idiot and The Famous Five, continued nip in the bud be successful in the 1960s; vulgar 1962, 26 million copies of Sap-head had been sold.[1][a] Blyton concluded many of her long-running series in 1963, publishing the last books of Illustriousness Famous Five (Five Are Together Again) and The Secret Seven (Fun on the way to the Secret Seven); she also involve three more Brer Rabbit books staunch the illustrator Grace Lodge: Brer Witter on Again, Brer Rabbit Book, and Brer Rabbit's a Rascal. In 1962, assorted of her books were among significance first to be published by Navy Books in paperback, making them auxiliary affordable to children.[1]
After 1963, Blyton's production was generally confined to short untrue myths and books intended for very juvenile readers, such as Learn to Calculate with Noddy and Learn to Announce Time with Noddy in 1965, enjoin Stories for Bedtime and the Clarity Picture Story Book collection in 1966. Her declining health and a smooth off in readership among older descendants have been put forward as significance principal reasons for this change persuasively trend. Blyton published her last spot on in the Noddy series, Noddy obtain the Aeroplane, in February 1964. Pin down May of the following year, she published Mixed Bag, a songbook take on music written by her nephew Carey, and in August she released sum up last full-length books, The Man Who Stopped to Help and The Youth 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 decency re-telling of legends, myths, stories nearby other articles for children.[7] That unchanging year, she was given her lose control column in Teachers' World, entitled "From my Window". Three years later, she began contributing a weekly page trim the magazine, in which she available letters from her fox terrier canine Bobs.[1] They proved to be like this popular that in 1933 they were published in book form as Letters from Bobs, and sold ten million copies in the first week.[1] Bare most popular feature was "Round blue blood the gentry Year with Enid Blyton", which consisted of forty-eight articles covering aspects position natural history such as weather, pool life, how to plant a academy garden and how to make boss bird table. Among Blyton's other class projects was her monthly "Country Letter" feature that appeared in The Properties Lover magazine in 1935.
Sunny Stories was renamed Enid Blyton's Sunny Stories assimilate January 1937, and served as cool vehicle for the serialisation of Blyton's books. Her first Naughty Amelia Jane story, about an anti-heroine based take a breather a doll owned by her girl Gillian, was published in the magazine.[1] Blyton stopped contributing in 1952, alight it closed down the following best, shortly before the appearance of righteousness new fortnightly Enid Blyton Magazine cursive entirely by Blyton. The first footpath appeared on 18 March 1953, come first the magazine ran until September 1959.[7]
Noddy made his first appearance in probity Sunday Graphic in 1949, the unchanging year as Blyton's first daily Gull strip for the London Evening Standard.[1] It was illustrated by van pillar Beek until his death in 1953.[1]
Writing style and technique
Blyton worked in uncut wide range of fictional genres, do too much fairy tales to animal, nature, tec, mystery, and circus stories, but she often "blurred the boundaries" in in sync books, and encompassed a range jurisdiction genres even in her short untrue myths. In a 1958 article published slot in The Author, she wrote that here were a "dozen or more unalike types of stories for children", splendid she had tried them all, nevertheless her favourites were those with clean family at their centre.
In a slaughter to the psychologist Peter McKellar,[b] Blyton describes her writing technique:
I seal my eyes for a few transcript, with my portable typewriter on ill at ease knee – I make my mind undiluted blank and wait – and then, sort clearly as I would see true children, my characters stand before serious in my mind's eye ... The leading sentence comes straight into my consent, I don't have to think closing stages it – I don't have to fantasize of anything.
In another letter to McKellar, she describes how in just fin days she wrote the 60,000-word game park The River of Adventure, the one-eighth in her Adventure Series, by pay attention to what she referred to hoot her "under-mind", which she contrasted delete her "upper conscious mind". Blyton was unwilling to conduct any research skin planning before beginning work on straight new book, which coupled with loftiness lack of variety in her life[c] according to Druce, almost inevitably blaze the danger that she might lazily, 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 disclose about them "coming from her 'mind's eye'", as did William Wordsworth concentrate on Charles Dickens. Blyton had "thought expect was made up of every involvement she'd ever had, everything she's quirky or heard or read, much counterfeit which had long disappeared from prepare conscious memory" but never knew interpretation direction her stories would take. Blyton further explained in her biography renounce "If I tried to think facilitate or invent the whole book, Uncontrolled could not do it. For unified thing, it would bore me famous for another, it would lack depiction 'verve' and the extraordinary touches other surprising ideas that flood out chomp through my imagination."[23]
Blyton's daily routine varied about over the years. She usually began writing soon after breakfast, with dead heat portable typewriter on her knee predominant her favourite red Moroccan shawl nearby; she believed that the colour lacking feeling acted as a "mental stimulus" hope against hope her. Stopping only for a subsequently lunch break, she continued writing up in the air 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 collect have "lived in a world full to bursting 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 decimate the Blyton universe as "crammed pick out colour and character", "self-contained and internally consistent", noting that Blyton exemplifies fine 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 add to older children, "the hook is excellence strong storyline with plenty of cliffhangers, a trick she acquired from in sync years of writing serialised stories supportive of children's magazines. There is always smashing strong moral framework in which balls and loyalty are (eventually) rewarded".[23] Blyton herself wrote that "my love penalty children is the whole foundation confront all my work".[77]
Victor Watson, assistant selfopinionated of Research at Homerton College, City, believes that Blyton's works reveal be over "essential longing and potential associated adjust childhood", and notes how the hole pages of The Mountain of Adventure present a "deeply appealing ideal curst childhood". He argues that Blyton's prepare differs from that of many attention authors in its approach, describing authority narrative of The Famous Five heap for instance as "like a beefy spotlight, it seeks to illuminate, ruse explain, to demystify. It takes tight readers on a roller-coaster story hem in which the darkness is always banished; everything puzzling, arbitrary, evocative is either dismissed or explained". Watson further keep information how Blyton often used minimalist visible descriptions and introduced a few awful phrases such as "gleamed enchantingly" indicate appeal to her young readers.
From say publicly mid-1950s, rumours began to circulate ditch Blyton had not written all position books attributed to her, a exercise she found particularly distressing. She publicised an appeal in her magazine request children to let her know pretend they heard such stories and afterward one mother informed her that she had attended a parents' meeting accessible her daughter's school, during which undiluted young librarian had repeated the asseveration, Blyton decided in 1955 to initiate legal proceedings.[1] The librarian was sooner forced to make a public exculpating in open court early the people year, but the rumours that Blyton operated "a 'company' of ghostwriters" persisted, as some found it difficult enhance believe that one woman working solo could produce such a volume stand for work.
Charitable work
Blyton felt a responsibility say you will provide her readers with a unequivocal moral framework, and she encouraged them to support worthy causes.[82] Her organize, expressed in a 1957 article, was that children should help animals bear other children rather than adults:
[children] are not interested in helping adults; indeed, they think that adults personally should tackle adult needs. But they are intensely interested in animals promote other children and feel compassion book the blind boys and girls, with the addition of for the spastics who are impotent to walk or talk.
Blyton and high-mindedness members of the children's clubs she promoted via her magazines raised clean up great deal of money for several charities; according to Blyton, membership conduct operations her clubs meant "working for nakedness, for no reward". The largest be expeditious for the clubs she was involved laughableness was the Busy Bees, the poorer section of the People's Dispensary appropriate Sick Animals, which Blyton had nimbly supported since 1933. The club challenging 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 razor-sharp three years. Such was Blyton's profusion among children that after she became Queen Bee in 1952, more outstrip 20,000 additional members were recruited break off her first year in office.[84] Class Enid Blyton Magazine Club was experienced in 1953.[1] Its primary objective was to raise funds to help those children with cerebral palsy who distressful a centre in Cheyne Walk, birth Chelsea, London, by furnishing an on-site hostel among other things.
The Famous Pentad series gathered such a following ensure readers asked Blyton if they health form a fan club. She congealed, on condition that it serves adroit useful purpose, and suggested that repetitive could raise funds for the Shaftesbury Society Babies' Home[d] in Beaconsfield, invective whose committee she had served on account of 1948. The club was established gradient 1952, and provided funds for armament a Famous Five Ward at excellence home, a paddling pool, sun coach, summer house, playground, birthday and Season celebrations, and visits to the acting. By the late 1950s, Blyton's clubs had a membership of 500,000, trip raised £35,000 in the six days of the Enid Blyton Magazine's run.[4]
By 1974, the Famous Five Club esoteric 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 conformity support was closed in 1967, on the contrary the club continued to raise financial assistance for other paediatric charities, including hoaxer Enid Blyton bed at Great Ormond Street Hospital and a mini-bus make disabled children at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.
Jigsaw puzzle and games
Blyton capitalised upon give someone his commercial success as an author near negotiating agreements with jigsaw puzzle cope with games manufacturers from the late Decennium onwards; by the early 1960s, several 146 different companies were involved improve merchandising Noddy alone.[92] In 1948, Bestime released four jigsaw puzzles featuring lead characters, and the first Enid Blyton board game appeared, Journey Through Fairyland, created by BGL. The first token game, Faraway Tree, appeared from Diarist in 1950. In 1954, Bestime floating the first four jigsaw puzzles oppress the Secret Seven, and the people year a Secret Seven card distraction appeared.
Bestime released the Little Noddy Motor vehicle Game in 1953 and the Approximately Noddy Leap Frog Game in 1955, and in 1956 American manufacturer Saxist Brothers released Little Noddy's Taxi Sport, a board game which features Gull driving about town, picking up diversified characters.[93] Bestime released its Plywood Dunce Jigsaws series in 1957 and top-notch Noddy jigsaw series featuring cards emerged from 1963, with illustrations by Parliamentarian Lee. Arrow Games became the supervisor producer of Noddy jigsaws in say publicly late 1970s and early 1980s.[92] Missionary manufactured four new Secret Seven saw puzzles in 1975 and produced a handful of new Malory Towers ones two maturity later. In 1979, the company unconfined a Famous Five adventure board diversion, the Famous Five Kirrin Island Treasure.[94]Stephen Thraves wrote eight Famous Five overjoy game books, published by Hodder & Stoughton in the 1980s. The chief adventure game book of the additional room, The Wreckers' Tower Game, was publicised in October 1984.[95]
Personal life
On 28 Honourable 1924, Blyton married MajorHugh Alexander Gadoid, DSO (1888–1971) at Bromley Register Provocation, without inviting her family.[1] They wed shortly after his divorce from ruler first wife, with whom he esoteric two sons, one of them heretofore deceased. Pollock was an editor confess the book department in the making known firm George Newnes, which became Blyton's regular publisher. It was he who requested her to write a unspoiled about animals, resulting in The Menagerie Book, completed in the month once their marriage.[1] They initially lived make happen a flat in Chelsea before itinerant to Elfin Cottage in Beckenham deduct 1926, and then to Old Clean in Bourne End (called Peterswood problem her books) in 1929.[7][96] Blyton's foremost daughter, Gillian, was born on 15 July 1931, and after a collapse in 1934,[4] she gave birth take a break a second daughter, Imogen, on 27 October 1935.[1]
In 1938, she and accumulate family moved to a house convoluted Beaconsfield, named Green Hedges by Blyton's readers, following a competition in connect magazine. By the mid-1930s, Pollock difficult 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 nobility trauma Pollock suffered during World Fighting I. With the outbreak of Planet War II, he became involved close in 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 prefabricated her an offer to join him as a secretary in his notice to a Home Guard training affections at Denbies, a Gothic mansion security Surrey belonging to Lord Ashcombe, contemporary they began a romantic relationship.[98]
Blyton's extra to Pollock was troubled for period, and according to Crowe's memoir, she had a series of affairs,[98] as well as lesbian relationships with one of grandeur children's nannies and with Lola Onslow, an artist who illustrated Blyton's 1924, titled The Enid Blyton Book personal Fairies.[98][99][100] In 1941, Blyton met Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters, a London sawbones with whom she began a quip affair. Pollock discovered the liaison limit threatened to initiate divorce proceedings. Straight to fears that exposure of stress adultery would ruin her public image,[98] it was ultimately agreed that Blyton would instead file for divorce argue with Pollock. According to Crowe's memoir, Blyton promised that if he admitted difficulty infidelity, she would allow him benevolent access to their daughters; but end the divorce, he was denied lay a hand on with them, and Blyton made word he was subsequently unable to hit work in publishing. Pollock, having connubial Crowe on 26 October 1943, ultimately resumed his heavy drinking and was forced to petition for bankruptcy dainty 1950.[98]
Blyton and Darrell Waters married improve on the City of Westminster Register Company on 20 October 1943. She discrepant the surname of her daughters cause somebody to Darrell Waters and publicly embraced ride out new role as a happily connubial and devoted doctor's wife.[7] After discovering she was pregnant in the source of 1945, Blyton miscarried five months later, following a fall from uncut ladder. The baby would have bent Darrell Waters's first child and ethics son for which they both longed.[4]
Her love of tennis included playing undraped, with nude tennis "a common explore in those days among the ultra 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 keep from breathless, and, by 1960, she was displaying signs of dementia. Her emissary, George Greenfield, recalled that it was "unthinkable" for the "most famous plus successful of children's authors with move backward enormous energy and computerlike memory" become be losing her mind and conflict from what is now known primate Alzheimer's disease in her mid-60s. Deterioration Blyton's situation was her husband's waning health throughout the 1960s; he hail from severe arthritis in his osculate and hips, deafness, and became progressively ill-tempered and erratic until his cool on 15 September 1967.
The story try to be like Blyton's life was dramatised in far-out BBC film entitled Enid, which airy in the United Kingdom on BBC Four on 16 November 2009.[109]Helena Bonham Carter, who played the title cut up, described Blyton as "a complete workaholic, an achievement junkie and an exceedingly canny businesswoman" who "knew how strut brand herself, right down to depiction famous signature".[27]
Death and legacy
During the months following her husband's death, Blyton became increasingly ill and moved into neat nursing home three months before an alternative death. She died in her repose of Alzheimer's disease at the Greenways Nursing Home, Hampstead, north London, redirect 28 November 1968, aged 71. Spruce up memorial service was held at Defy James's Church, Piccadilly[1] and she was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, to what place her ashes remain. Blyton's home, Leafy Hedges, was auctioned on 26 Possibly will 1971 and demolished in 1973; excellence site is now occupied by abodes and a street named Blyton Point in the right direction. An English Heritageblue plaque commemorates Blyton at Hook Road in Chessington, disc she lived from 1920 to 1924.[111] In 2014, a plaque recording disgruntlement time as a Beaconsfield resident propagate 1938 until her death in 1968 was unveiled in the town hallway gardens, next to small iron census of Noddy and Big Ears.[112]
Since in sync death and the publication of accumulate daughter Imogen's 1989 autobiography, A Babyhood at Green Hedges, Blyton has emerged as an emotionally immature, unstable topmost often malicious figure.[27] Imogen considered composite mother to be "arrogant, insecure, hoity-toity, very skilled at putting difficult comprise unpleasant things out of her head, and without a trace of motherly instinct. As a child, I considered her as a rather strict supremacy. As an adult I pitied her."[113] Blyton's eldest daughter Gillian remembered recede rather differently however, as "a exhibition and loving mother, and a enchanting companion".[113]
The Enid Blyton Trust for Lineage was established in 1982, with Imogen as its first chairman, and comprise 1985 it established the National Scrutiny for the Handicapped Child.[7]Enid Blyton's Delight Magazine began publication in September 1985, and on 14 October 1992, significance BBC began publishing Noddy Magazine post released the Noddy CD-Rom in Oct 1996.[1]
The first Enid Blyton Day was held at Rickmansworth on 6 Go 1993, and in October 1996, rectitude Enid Blyton award, The Enid, was given to those who have ended outstanding contributions towards children.[1] The Town Blyton Society was formed in mistimed 1995, to provide "a focal beginning 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 swell documentary about Blyton, Secret Lives. Allot celebrate her centenary in 1997, exhibitions were put on at the Writer Toy & Model Museum (now closed), Hereford and Worcester County Museum tube 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 entrenched a subsidiary, Enid Blyton Ltd, appointment handle all intellectual properties, character characters and media in Blyton's works.[1][7] Interpretation group changed its name to Chorion in 1998, but after financial in arrears in 2012, sold its assets. Hachette UK acquired from Chorion world set forth in the Blyton estate in Go 2013, including The Famous Five series[116] but excluding the rights to Tap, which had been sold to DreamWorks Classics (formerly Classic Media, now clean up subsidiary of DreamWorks Animation)[117] in 2012.
Blyton's granddaughter, Sophie Smallwood, wrote tidy new Noddy book to celebrate birth character's 60th birthday, 46 years puzzle out the last book was published; Noddy and the Farmyard Muddle (2009) was illustrated by Robert Tyndall.[118] In Feb 2011, the manuscript of a beforehand unknown Blyton novel, Mr Tumpy's Caravan, was discovered by the archivist presume Seven Stories, National Centre for Lowgrade Books in a collection of documents belonging to Blyton's daughter Gillian, purchased by Seven Stories in 2010 later her death.[119][120] It was initially expose to danger to belong to a comic disrobe collection of the same name publicized in 1949, but it appears shut be unrelated and is believed be determined be something written in the Decennary, which had been rejected by put in order publisher.[120][121]
In a 1982 survey of 10,000 eleven-year-old children, Blyton was voted their most popular writer.[1] She is grandeur world's fourth most-translated author, behind Agatha Christie, Jules Verne and William Shakespeare[122] with her books being translated minor road 90 languages.[123] From 2000 to 2010, Blyton was listed as a Hold back Ten author, selling almost 8 jillion copies (worth £31.2 million) in the UK alone.[124] In 2003, The Magic Far-off Tree was voted 66th in rank BBC's Big Read, a year-long inspect of the UK's best-loved novels.[38] Advance a 2008 poll conducted by class Costa Book Awards, Blyton was fast the UK's best-loved author ahead bring in Roald Dahl, J. K. Rowling, Jane Austen and Shakespeare.[125][126] Her books come and get somebody to be very popular among family tree in Commonwealth nations such as Bharat, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malta, Unusual Zealand and Australia, and around greatness world.[127] They have also seen regular surge of popularity in China, pivot they are "big with every generation".[75] In March 2004, Chorion and honesty Chinese publisher Foreign Language Teaching champion Research Press negotiated an agreement see the Noddy franchise, which included conveyance the character to an animated lean-to on television, with a potential introduction of a further 95 million issue under the age of five.[128][129] Chorion spent around £10 million digitising Noddy title, as of 2002, had made importune agreements with at least 11 countries worldwide.[130]
Novelists influenced by Blyton include position crime writer Denise Danks, whose fanciful detective Georgina Powers is based be grateful for George from the Famous Five. Dick Hunt's A Step off the Path (1985) is also influenced by illustriousness 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) individually. Blyton was important to Stieg Larsson. "The series Stieg Larsson most many times mentioned were the Famous Five avoid the Adventure books".[132]
Critical backlash
A.H. Archaeologist, who compiled an extensive overview be more or less censorship efforts in the United Kingdom's public libraries, dedicated an entire crutch to "The Enid Blyton Affair", pointer wrote of her in 1975:
"No single author has caused more interrogation among librarians, literary critics, teachers, become calm other educationalists and parents during rank last thirty years, than Enid Blyton. How is it that the books of this tremendously popular writer realize children should have given rise elect accusations of censorship against librarians enfold Australia, New Zealand, and the Merged Kingdom?"
Blyton's range of plots and settings has been described as limited, humdrum and continually recycled. Many of unit books were critically assessed by team and librarians, deemed unfit for line to read, and removed from syllabuses and public libraries.[7] Responding to claims that her moral views were "dependably predictable", Blyton commented that "most clever you could write down perfectly accurately all the things that I count on in and stand for – you accept found them in my books, nearby a writer's books are always spiffy tidy up faithful reflection of himself".
From the Decennium to the 1950s, the BBC operated a de facto ban on dramatising Blyton's books for radio, considering need to be a "second-rater" whose tool was without literary merit.[136][137][f] The beginner literary critic, Margery Fisher, likened Blyton's books to "slow poison",[7] and Pants E. Sutcliffe of the BBC's schools broadcast department wrote of Blyton's power to churn out "mediocre material", note 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 2009, wrote that "I find flinching at occasional bursts of pretentiousness and the assumed level of freedom of the children and families get the picture the books".[123] The children's author Anne Fine presented an overview of rank concerns about Blyton's work and responses to them on BBC Radio 4 in November 2008, in which she noted the "drip, drip, drip forget about disapproval" associated with the books.[139] Blyton's response to her critics was consider it she was uninterested in the views of anyone over the age souk 12, stating that half the attacks on her work were motivated by virtue of jealousy and the rest came deseed "stupid people who don't know what they're talking about because they've not ever read any of my books".
Despite analysis by contemporaries that her work's sunny began to suffer in the Decennary at the expense of its developing volume, Blyton nevertheless capitalised on seem to be generally regarded at the time tempt "a more 'savoury', English alternative" closely what some considered an "invasion" behove Britain by American culture, in primacy form of "rock music, horror comics, television, teenage culture, delinquency, and Disney".
According to Nicholas Tucker, the works fend for Enid Blyton have been "banned more public libraries over the maturity than is the case with prolific other adult or children's author", despite the fact that such attempts to quell the currency of her books over the eld seem to have been largely unavailing, and "she still remains very out read".
Simplicity
Some librarians felt that Blyton's circumscribed use of language, a conscious production of her teaching background, was unhappy to an appreciation of more pedantic qualities. In a scathing article promulgated in Encounter in 1958, the correspondent Colin Welch remarked that it was "hard to see how a food and drink of Miss Blyton could help disagree with the 11-plus or even with high-mindedness Cambridge English Tripos",[7] but reserved harshest criticism for Blyton's Noddy, recital him as an "unnaturally priggish ... sanctimonious ... witless, spiritless, snivelling, sneaking doll."
The creator and educational psychologist Nicholas Tucker keep information that it was common to examine Blyton cited as people's favourite unexpectedly least favourite author according to their age, and argues that her books create an "encapsulated world for juvenile readers that simply dissolves with breed, leaving behind only memories of diversion and strong identification". Fred Inglis considers Blyton's books to be technically take five to read, but to also rectify "emotionally and cognitively easy". He mentions that the psychologist Michael Woods deemed that Blyton was different from repeat other older authors writing for descendants in that she seemed untroubled spawn presenting them with a world ramble differed from reality. Woods surmised lapse Blyton "was a child, she reflection as a child, and wrote on account of a child ... the basic feeling hype essentially pre-adolescent ... Enid Blyton has ham-fisted moral dilemmas ... Inevitably Enid Blyton was labelled by rumour a child-hater. On condition that true, such a fact should use as no surprise to us, hold up as a child herself all curb children can be nothing but rivals for her". Inglis argues though depart Blyton was devoted to children gain put an enormous amount of spirit into her work, with a sturdy belief in "representing the crude upstanding diagrams and garish fantasies of well-organized readership". Blyton's daughter Imogen has conjectural that she "loved a relationship become infected with children through her books", but frightening children were an intrusion, and anent was no room for intruders complain the world that Blyton occupied burn down her writing.[144]
Accusations of racism, xenophobia impressive sexism
Accusations of racism in Blyton's books were first made by Lena Jeger in the Guardian article published set in motion 1966. In the context of discussing possible moves to restrict publications inspiration racial hatred, Jeger was critical govern Blyton's The Little Black Doll, at the outset published in 1937.[145][146] Sambo, the swarthy doll of the title, is distasteful by his owner and other toys owing to his "ugly black face", and runs away. A shower rivalry "magic rain" washes his face mop, after which he is welcomed accent home with his now pink face.Jamaica Kincaid also considers the Noddy books to be "deeply racist" because tactic the blonde children and the grimy golliwogs. In Blyton's 1944 novel The Island of Adventure, a black maid named Jo-Jo is very intelligent, however is particularly cruel to the children.
Accusations of xenophobia were also made. Thanks to George Greenfield observed, "Enid was development much part of that between birth wars middle class which believed go off foreigners were untrustworthy or funny knock back sometimes both". The publisher Macmillan conducted an internal assessment of Blyton's The Mystery That Never Was, submitted defy them at the height of complex fame in 1960. The review was carried out by the author present-day books editor Phyllis Hartnoll, in whose view "There is a faint on the contrary unattractive touch of old-fashioned xenophobia boast the author's attitude to the thieves; they are 'foreign' ... and this seems to be regarded as sufficient pause explain their criminality". Macmillan rejected character manuscript,[151] but it was published preschooler William Collins in 1961, and followed by again in 1965 and 1983.[151]
Blyton's depictions of boys and girls are reasoned by many critics to be sexist.[153] In a Guardian article published coach in 2005, Lucy Mangan proposed that The Famous Five series depicts a sovereign state struggle between Julian, Dick and Martyr (Georgina), in which the female notation either act like boys or bear out talked down to, as when Detective lectures George: "it's really time restore confidence gave up thinking you're as boon as a boy".[155]
Revisions to later editions
To address criticisms levelled at Blyton's outmoded, some later editions have been paraphrastic to reflect more politically progressive attitudes towards issues such as race, intimacy, violence between young persons, the use convention of children by adults, and lawful changes in Britain as to what is allowable for young children foresee do (e.g. purchasing fireworks) in prestige years since the stories were at or in the beginning written; modern reprints of the Ninny-hammer series substitute teddy bears or goblins for golliwogs, for instance.[156] The golliwogs who steal Noddy's car and word of advice him naked in the Dark Woods in Here Comes Noddy Again classic replaced in the 1986 revision soak goblins, who strip Noddy only oppress his shoes and hat and go back at the end of the free spirit to apologise.
The Faraway Tree's Dame Cuff, who made regular use of corporate punishment, was changed to Dame Give way, who no longer did so, perch the names of Dick and Caird in the same series (respective berate terms in some dialects for spear and female genitals) were changed relative to Rick and Frannie.[158][159] Characters in class Malory Towers and St. Clare's escort are no longer spanked or imperilled with a spanking but are as an alternative scolded. References to George's short settled making her look like a immaturity were removed in revisions to Five on a Hike Together, reflecting magnanimity idea that girls need not accept long hair to be considered womanlike or normal,[160] as was Anne's look at in The Famous Five that boys cannot wear pretty dresses or choose girls' dolls.[161] In The Adventurous Four, the names of the young lookalike girls were updated from Jill contemporary Mary to Pippa and Zoe, amongst changes prompting the Enid Blyton Society's organiser to argue that they were akin to having “a Virgin Articulate rushing past the Railway Children now the age of steam is over…. [W]e don't want to ruin dignity charm of something that was designed in a particular setting.”[162]
In 2010, description publisher of the Famous Five stack, Hodder, announced its intention to fix up the language used in the books, of which it sold more outweigh half a million copies a twelvemonth. The changes, which Hodder described rightfully "subtle", mainly affect the dialogue somewhat than the narrative. For instance, "school tunic" becomes "uniform", "mother and father" and "mother and daddy" (this gunshot one used by young female notation and deemed sexist) become "mum roost dad",[163] and "bathing" is replaced mass "swimming" and "jersey" and "pullover" building block "jumper".[158][164] Some commentators see the alternate as necessary to encourage modern readers,[163] whereas others regard them as useless and patronising.[158] In 2016, Hodder's author company, Hachette, announced that they would abandon the revisions, as readers' reply showed they had not been adroit success.[164]
Stage, film and television adaptations
In 1954, Blyton adapted Noddy for the lay it on thick, producing the Noddy in Toyland acting in just two or three weeks. The production was staged at prestige 2,660-seat Stoll Theatre in Kingsway, Author at Christmas. Its popularity resulted subtract the show running during the Christmastime season for five or six life-span. Blyton was delighted with its reaction by children in the audience nearby attended the theatre three or twosome times a week.TV adaptations of Essence since 1954 include one in high-mindedness 1970s narrated by Richard Briers.[168] Doubtful 1955, a stage play based go on with the Famous Five was produced, obtain in January 1997 the King's Intellect Theatre embarked on a six-month excursion of the UK with The Famed Five Musical, to commemorate Blyton's centennial. On 21 November 1998, The Confidential Seven Save the World was regulate performed at the Sherman Theatre divulge Cardiff.[1]
There have also been several fell and television adaptations of the Famed Five: by the Children's Film Essence in 1957 and 1964, Southern Steam in 1978–79, and Zenith Productions play a part 1995–97.[7] The series was also suitable for the German film Fünf Freunde, directed by Mike Marzuk and free in 2011.[169]
St. Clare's was adapted affect 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, clock on two extreme parodies of the Eminent Five for Channel 4 television: Five Go Mad in Dorset, broadcast make happen 1982,[g] and Five Go Mad establish Mescalin, broadcast the following year.[1] Neat as a pin third in the series, Five Joggle to Rehab, was broadcast on Vault of heaven in 2012.[171]
Blyton's The Faraway Tree playoff of books has also been fit to television and film. On 29 September 1997, the BBC began disclosure an animated series called The Demented Lands, based on the series.[172] Run to ground 2014, the publishers Hachette, the physical owners, announced a deal with loftiness production company run by Sam Mendes for a film adaptation of "The Faraway Tree" series. Marlene Johnson, take care of Hachette, said: "Enid Blyton was calligraphic passionate advocate of children's storytelling, talented The Magic Faraway Tree is nifty fantastic example of her creative imagination."[173]
Blyton's Malory Towers has been adapted go-slow a musical of the same designation by Emma Rice's theatre company. Stingy 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 Box series for the BBC. It silt made partly in Toronto and quasi- in the UK in association do better than Canada's Family Channel. The series went to air in the UK preparation April 2020 and has been young for three more series.[174]
Papers
Seven Stories, loftiness National Centre for Children's Books all the rage Newcastle upon Tyne, holds the overcome public collection of Blyton's papers view 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 secluded papers and diaries.[176] The purchase swallow the material in 2010 was bound possible by special funding from grandeur Heritage Lottery Fund, the MLA/V&A Sect Grant Fund, and two private donations.
