Enid Blyton is one of the world’s most popular, prolific and controversial children’s writers of the twentieth century, with sales exceeding 400 million worldwide. Her works have been translated into over 150 languages, the “Noddy” books being the most famous, closely followed by the “The Famous Five” and “Malory Towers” series. In all she wrote around 700 books. More than a writer, she has become an icon, with the term “Blytonesque” signifying not only a rather flat and childish style of storytelling, but a whole way of life: twee and middle-class, perhaps, but also one signifying secrets, adventures, and midnight feasts.
Born on 11 August 1897 in East Dulwich, London, to a Sheffield couple that had moved south, Enid was their firstborn, with two brothers following. As
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Citation: Rudd, David. "Enid Blyton". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 31 May 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=459, accessed 16 April 2024.]
