Author Focus: Enid Blyton

Enid Mary Blyton, the English best-selling children's author, was born on August 11th, 1897 in East Dulwich, London, England. Her father Thomas Carey Blyton was a cutlery salesman and her mother was Theresa Mary Harrison Blyton. She had two younger brothers named Hanly and Carey. Enid's father is credited with instilling a love of nature in her, as well as art, gardening, music, theatre, and literature. Enid's mother left when she was 13. In school Enid was a tennis champion and lacrosse captain, and although she was not an academic she did well in writing. Enid entered a poetry competition in 1911 and received encouragement to write more. In 1915 Enid moved out of her home and began pursuing a teaching career while she continued to write. Her first poems were published in 1916, marking the beginning of her writing career, despite the fact that she would support herself as a teacher for many years.

In 1921 Enid Blyton won the Saturday Westminster Review writing competition. Her essay "On the Popular Fallacy that to the Pure All Things are Pure" won the contest and other publications began showing interest in her writing.
Child Whispers was Enid Blyton's first published book. It was a collection of poems, illustrated by her friend Phyllis Chase, and published in 1922.
In 1922 Enid Blyton was hired to write annuals for Cassel and George Newnes. She was also published for the first time in Teachers' World.
In 1923 her poetry was published with greats such as Walter de la Mare, G.K. Chesterton and Rudyard Kipling.
Several more books written by Enid Blyton were published in the 1920s including Real Fairies (1923), The Enid Blyton Book of Fairies (1924), and Book of Brownies/ (1926).
Enid Blyton married Major Hugh Alexander Pollock, DSO on August 28th, 1924. Her husband was the editor of her publisher George Newnes.
Major Hugh Alexander Pollock was the editor who asked Enid to write an animal book. She wrote The Zoo Book which she finished a month before their wedding.
Enid and Hugh moved to Old Thatch (name of their home), in Peterswood, in 1929.
Enid and Hugh's first daughter Gillian was born in 1931. Their second daughter Imogen was born in 1935.
Enid Blyton's successful book series Old Thatch began with the publication of The Talking Teapot and Other Tales, which was published in 1934. The series had a total of 28 books.
Enid Blyton's first full-length adventure novel was The Secret Island. It was published in 1938.
Her writing career flourished and she was said to have written as many as 10,000 words of publishable work in only one day.
Enid Blyton wrote books in a variety of genres including mystery, circus, detective, fairy tales, nature, and animal.
Enid and Hugh divorced and Enid married Darrell Waters in 1943.
In 1957 Enid's health began to deteriorate. Her husband's health declined in the 60s and he died in 1967.
Enid Blyton died on November 28th, 1968 at the age of 71.
Enid Blyton's books have sold more than 600 million copies.