Enid Blyton

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Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 - 28 November 1968) was a British children's writer also known as Mary Pollock. She is noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups. Her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies. One of Blyton's most widely known characters is Noddy, intended for early readers. However, her main work is the genre of young readers' novels in which children have their own adventures with minimal adult help. Series of this type include the Famous Five (21 novels, 1942-1963, based on four children and a dog), the Five Find-Outers and Dog, (15 novels, 1943-1961, where five children regularly outwit the local police) and The Secret Seven (15 novels, 1949-1963, a society of seven children who solve various mysteries). Her work involves children's adventure stories, and fantasy, sometimes involving magic. Her books are still enormously popular across most of the globe, and have been translated into almost 90 languages.

Author's Comment: I always wanted to write for children but it never occurred to me as a child that I would even be famous. I had two brothers that were younger than I was, and I used to tell them stories, which I enjoyed very much indeed; and I suppose it was possibly from that beginning, that the idea first came to me, that I would like to write stories when I was able to. [Later] I decided I would run my own school [to learn about children and what to write about in books for them]; I ran it for four or five years, and in that time, I wrote absolutely everything for the children: all the stories, all the songs...all the poetry they learnt...it was the happiest five years there that I think I could ever wish for. Then I left the school - my little school - and I started writing in earnest.

Nationality: British