About
Enid Blyton was a prolific English author of children's books, born in London in 1897. After training as a teacher, she published her first poetry collection in 1922. She is best known for her series The Famous Five, Noddy, The Secret Seven, and boarding-school stories like Malory Towers and St. Clare's. Her books, translated into over 40 languages, have achieved worldwide success, with over 500 million copies sold. She also edited the children's magazine Sunny Stories. Her work has been criticized for formulaic plots and certain prejudices, but remains popular with young readers.
* 1897-08-11 — † 1968-11-28
Major works
- Child Whispers (1922)poetry collection
- Adventures of the Wishing Chair (1937)novel
- The Enchanted Wood (1939)novel
- The Famous Five (1942)novel series
- Noddy (1949)novel series
Key milestones
- 1926Becomes editor of the children's magazine Sunny Stories.
- 1938Moves to Green Hedges, Beaconsfield, where she will write most of her books.
- 1960Macmillan rejects her novel The Mystery That Never Was, citing xenophobia.
Themes
adventurefriendshipmysteryschool lifefantasy
Sources: britannica.com · english-heritage.org.uk · oxfordreference.com
