British author Enid Blyton became one of the most popular writers for children within her lifetime. Enid Mary Blyton was born in 1897 at the south London home of her parents, Theresa Mary and Thomas Carey Blyton. Her father was employed as a cutlery salesman. Enid had two younger brothers, Hanly (born 1899), and Carey (born 1902). Her parents separated when Enid was 13.
By the time she was in her teens, Enid Blyton was already writing stories and poetry. Much of what she submitted was rejected, but she had an early success in 1911 when one of her poems appeared in a magazine edited by Arthur Mee.
In 1916 Enid Blyton first began her association with children when she started helping out at a Sunday school. Later that year she became a trainee teacher and then she taught infants for five years, at various schools. During this time she continued to write in her spare time.
Enid Blyton's real writing career began in 1922, when she had a book of poems published. This was called "Child Whispers". Earlier that year, one of her stories for children "Peronel and his Pot of Glue" appeared in a magazine, and she continued writing stories featuring good little fairies, elves and pixies, naughty goblins, evil witches and wizards.
In 1924, Enid Blyton married Major Hugh Alexander Pollock (born 1888). He was employed by the publishing company George Newnes, which published two of Enid's books in 1924. Subsequently Enid wrote some of her stories under the pen name of Mary Pollock.
Following the birth of their two children, Gillian (born 1931) and Imogen Mary (born 1935), Enid Blyton began to enjoy real success in her writing career. Her novel, "The Adventures of the Wishing Chair" was published in 1937, followed in 1938 by a full length adventure, "The Secret Island".
Publishing continued throughout the second world war, despite restrictions on paper and print workers. This was when Enid Blyton began to write her renowned series of books, featuring some of the best known, well loved fictional characters of all children's literature.
The Famous Five was to become Enid Blyton's most popular series of adventure novels, after the first Famous Five title appeared in 1942. The same characters appear in each book. Julian, Dick and Anne, their uncle Quentin and his daughter Georgina. The four children are joined by Timmy the dog. Timmy belongs to Georgina. She prefers to dress as a boy and to be known as George. Enid Blyton based the character of George on herself as a child.
Many of the Famous Five stories are set in Dorset, a rural area of southern England, where Enid had been fond of staying since she first visited in 1931.
The first Noddy book appeared in 1949, and after the success of "Little Noddy Goes to Toyland", Enid Blyton wrote numerous Noddy titles, all which have remained popular with young children. The character of Mr Plod is said to be founded on a real Dorset policeman, PC Christopher Rhone.
At the time when Enid Blyton was experiencing enormous success as an author, serious difficulties were developing within her marriage. Enid's relationship with Hugh eventually broke down, and they divorced in 1943. Hugh was the one to be named as guilty of adultery, and the divorce was settled amicably. Enid married a surgeon, Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters (born 1892), and not long after the divorce Hugh married his third wife, Ida Pollock.
In the 1950s Enid Blyton wanted more control of her own work, and she established herself with a new publisher. In 1953 she began writing a regular "Enid Blyton's Magazine" for older children. This publication continued until 1959.
Enid's ex-husband was declared bankrupt in 1950. He blamed his financial difficulties on Enid, because after the divorce she would not allow anyone involved with her own books to work with her ex-husband. She also stopped her children from having any contact with their father.
Living happily with her second husband and her two daughters in their home, Green Hedges, Enid continued to write prolifically. In her lifetime she published more than six hundred books for children. Following the death of her husband in 1967, Enid herself became ill. She moved into a nursing home, where she died in November 1968.
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