Enid Blyton

NAME Enid Mary Blyton

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Enid Blyton is renowned for her extensive body of children's literature, including the Famous Five, Secret Seven, and Noddy series.

BIRTH Enid Blyton was born on August 11, 1897, in East Dulwich, London, England.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Enid was the eldest of three children born to Thomas Carey Blyton, a cutlery salesman, and Theresa Mary Harrison Blyton.

CHILDHOOD Enid had a relatively happy early childhood. She was a bright and popular girl who excelled in school. However, her father's departure when she was 13 to live with another woman greatly affected her. Despite this, she showed early literary talent and a love for nature.

EDUCATION Blyton attended St. Christopher's School in Beckenham and later trained as a kindergarten  teacher at Ipswich High School. Though she initially aimed for a career in music, she ultimately found her passion in writing.

CAREER RECORD Enid Blyton began her career as a teacher.  She taught for five years at Bickley, Surbiton and Chessington, writing in her spare time, but soon turned to writing full-time. Over her career, she wrote more than 600 books, becoming one of the world's best-selling children's authors.

APPEARANCE Enid Blyton was known for her well-groomed appearance, with curly dark hair often styled neatly and a warm, inviting smile.

FASHION Blyton's fashion sense was practical and conservative, typically reflecting the styles of the mid-20th century. She favored simple, elegant clothing suitable for public appearances and everyday wear.

CHARACTER Blyton's character is a subject of some debate. Described as both hardworking and complex, she could also be seen as strict and sometimes holding views considered outdated today. She had a vivid imagination and a strong sense of independence, often working long hours to produce her stories.

SENSE OF HUMOUR Blyton's sense of humour was gentle and often woven into her writing, with whimsical characters and light-hearted scenarios.

RELATIONSHIPS Now, Enid Blyton's personal life was a bit more, shall we say, "Nancy Drew and the Case of the Messy Divorce." On August 28, 1924, she married Major Hugh Alexander Pollock, a World War I veteran , who was editor of the book department in the publishing firm of George Newnes, which published two of her books that year.

By 1939, things had gone south faster than a rogue dodgem car at a fairground. She began a series of affairs, including with Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters, a London surgeon, who swept her off her feet.  During the divorce proceedings, Blyton blackmailed Pollock into taking full blame for the failure of the marriage, knowing that exposure of her adultery would ruin her public image 

Blyton married Waters at the City of Westminster Register Office on October 20, 1943, They lived happily ever after, at least as far as the public image was concerned.

MONEY AND FAME Blyton achieved significant wealth and fame during her lifetime. Her books sold millions of copies worldwide, making her one of the highest-earning authors of her time.

FOOD AND DRINK Food descriptions are a common feature in her works, particularly those featuring children like The Famous Five and Malory Towers. The food Blyton describes is typically simple and wholesome, reflecting the era and the characters' situations. Think picnics with sandwiches, hearty breakfasts, and comforting dinners. Her use of the phrase "lashings" of ginger beer or lemonade is particularly well-remembered.

MUSIC AND ARTS Blyton enjoyed music and was an accomplished pianist. Her artistic appreciation also extended to literature and storytelling.

LITERATURE Blyton's contribution to literature is immense, with her works translated into numerous languages and remaining popular among children and adults alike. Her stories often featured adventure, friendship, and moral lessons.

Enid Blyton wasn't always churning out tales of ginger-haired detectives and daring kids with healthy appetites for ginger beer. In 1922, she published her first book, Child Whispers, a collection of verse,

First Edition

The late 1930s saw Blyton hit pay dirt with a barrage of children's stories that would become as familiar as peanut butter sandwiches and scraped knees.  There was Noddy, a fellow with a bonnet and a questionable taste in car design, the Famous Five, a group of children with a nose for trouble and an even keener nose for lashings of ginger beer, and the Secret Seven, a slightly less well-known crew whose adventures, one suspects, involved fewer picnics and more suspicious goings-on in garden sheds.

Malory Towers, a series about a posh boarding school for girls, might have been inspired by Benenden, the very school Blyton's own daughter attended. One wonders if young Gillian left a trail of half-eaten jam sandwiches and went on midnight feasts with her classmates, a la Darrell Rivers.

Blyton's success was undeniable. Her books racked up sales figures that would make J.K. Rowling blush, selling over 600 million copies and being translated into enough languages to make a Rosetta Stone salesman weep with joy.

NATURE Blyton had a deep love for nature, often incorporating elements of the natural world into her stories. She enjoyed outdoor activities and had a particular fondness for gardening.

PETS In her autobiography, The Story of My Life, she mentions having a fox terrier named Topsy and a Siamese cat called Bimbo.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Besides writing, Blyton's hobbies included gardening, playing the piano, and engaging in outdoor activities. 

Blyton was the school tennis champion and lacrosse captain at St Christopher's School for Girls. There are unsubstantiated rumors about Blyton participating in nude tennis parties, a supposed practice among some of the middle class in her era.

Blyton incorporated her love of tennis into some of her books. For instance, in the book Sports and Games, the children and their parents are invited to a tennis party. John and Betty, the only tennis players in the family, participate, and Betty excels, even surpassing her brother. They end up winning the first prize!

SCIENCE AND MATHS Blyton's work did not focus heavily on science and mathematics, although she did write some educational books for children that touched on these subjects.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Blyton's philosophy was reflected in her writing, emphasizing moral integrity, kindness, and the importance of family and friendship. She was raised in a Christian household, which influenced her values and themes.

In the mid-1930s, Enid Blyton grappled with a period of deep personal reflection concerning her faith. While considering converting to Catholicism from the Church of England, she ultimately found it too restrictive for her beliefs. Despite her own infrequent church attendance, she ensured her daughters were baptized Anglican and attended Sunday School.

SCANDAL Blyton's personal life was not without controversy. Her first marriage ended in divorce, which was scandalous at the time. Additionally, her relationship with her daughters was reportedly strained.

MILITARY RECORD During World War II, Enid Blyton volunteered at a military hospital, where she helped entertain the patients. Her compassionate efforts brought comfort and diversion to those in need during challenging times 

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS In her later years, Blyton suffered from Alzheimer's disease , which affected her ability to write and engage with the world around her.

HOMES Blyton lived in several homes throughout her life, including Old Thatch in Bourne End, Buckinghamshire where she lived 1929-1938.

Old Thatch By MilborneOne - Wikipedia

Enid Blyton asked readers of her magazine, Sunny Stories, in a competition to name the Beaconsfield home she and her second husband moved to in 1948. They chose the name Green Hedges.

TRAVEL Blyton traveled within the UK and Europe but was not known for extensive international travel. Her travels often inspired her stories and settings.

DEATH Afflicted by Alzheimer's disease, Blyton was moved into a nursing home, the Greenways Nursing Home, London. She died there in her sleep, on November 28, 1968, aged 71 years and was cremated at the Golders Green Crematorium where her ashes remain.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Blyton's works have been adapted into numerous television series, films, and stage plays, continuing to captivate audiences worldwide. They include these TV Adaptations:

The Famous Five: This series holds the title for the most famous adaptation. There have been multiple versions, including three UK ones in 1978-1979, 1995-1997 and 2023.

The Enid Blyton Adventure Series (1996): This series featured characters like Philip, Lucy-Ann, Dinah, and Jack.

The Enid Blyton Secret Series (1997-1998): Another series featuring different characters.

Malory Towers In 2020 it was adapted as a 13 part TV series for the BBC.

In addition the story of Blyton's life was dramatised in Enid, a BBC television film featuring Helena Bonham Carter in the title role. It was first broadcast in the UK on BBC Four in 2009.

ACHIEVEMENTS Enid Blyton's achievements include the creation of beloved children's characters and stories that have stood the test of time. 

She received numerous awards for her contributions to literature and was posthumously recognized for her enduring influence on children's reading habits.