ENID BLYTON
English author (1897-1968)
Biography:
Enid Blyton was probably the most successful British children's writer of the twentieth century. She was born in South London on 11th August 1897. While she was studying to be a teacher, she published poems and articles in various magazines. But it was not until 1922 that her first book for children is published under the title of Child Whispers. In 1937 she wrote her fist full lenght novel, The Adventures of the Wishing Chair, followed by The Secret Island. From 1926 to 1953 she worked in her first magazine for children called Sunny Stories, which was withdrawn to make way for The Enid Blyton Magazine.
During World War II, when publishing was restricted, Blyton managed to get her works printed and ruled then in the field of juvenile literature. In 1940 eleven books were published under her name, including The Secret of Spiggy Holes, Twenty-Minute Tales and Tales of Betsy May, both collections of short stories, The Children of Cherry Tree Farm, and a story book annual for the News Chronicle. Under the pseudonym Mary Pollock she wrote Three Boys and a Circus and Children of Kidillin.
She went on to write a large number of books, probably exceeding six hundred, although Enid Blyton is probably best known for her series books.
Her major series books are the following: Noddy, The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Adventure Series, The Secret Series, Malory Towers, St Clare's, The Faraway Tree and The Wishing Chair. These ones and many others soon became childhood favourites amongst children nationwide.
By the time of her death in 1968, she had become the most prolific author of all time, and with over 700 books and 10.000 short stories to her name, she is likely to remain so for years to come.
Her books have been translated into over 40 languages, and have sold over 400 million copies to date throughout the world. The legacy that she left behind is one that has captivated children of all ages for generations.
The Famous Five, a series composed of 21 books:
The Famous Five are probably the most famous of Enid Blyton's creations. Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the Dog make up this adventurous group. Julian, Dick and Anne are brothers and sister, and in their fist adventure, Five on a Treasure Island, they meet their cousin Georgina. She likes to act like a boy and hence is called George. In one interview Enid confessed that George was based on herself.
In 1957, the children's film foundation in the UK made a film serial of Five on a Treasure Island. More recently a television series of most of the Five books has been shown, more or less following the plot of the books.