Enid Mary Blyton is a popular British writer who has achieved great success in the genre of children's and youth literature. At the moment, her books have been translated into ninety languages, and the total number of copies sold exceeds 450 million.
early years
Enid Blyton was born on August 11, 1897 in London, in a house on Lordship Lane. Her father's name was Thomas Carey Blyton, he was a cutlery dealer. Mother's name is Teresa Mary. Enid was not the only child in the family, she had two more younger brothers - Hanley (born in 1899) and Carey (born in 1902).
From 1907 to 1915, Blyton studied at St Christopher's School in the Beckenham suburb of London. The girl was equally good at almost all subjects, except mathematics. Enid Blyton wrote her first stories at school. It is also known that together with her friends during her studies, she made a handwritten journal.
After school, Enid worked as a teacher, which allowed her to understand child psychology well. She also served as a nanny for a family with four small children for some time. Sometimes Enid would read her early stories aloud to these children to test how well they were perceived.
Enid Blyton's first publications and first marriage
Enid, with her works for children, began to appear in English magazines in the twenties. In addition, some of her stories were published in separate thin books.
At the age of 27, the aspiring writer became the wife of editor Hugh Pollock, who shared her passion for literature. It was he who helped Enid master the typewriter, which greatly accelerated the creative process.
The newlyweds settled in an old mansion in Buckinghamshire. Here Enid got herself a large number of pets. And her favorite pet was a fox terrier named Bob. In one of the magazines, Enid even wrote a column "Letters from Bob", that is, she wrote funny notes on behalf of her dog.
In the 1930s, Enid writes children's fairy tales and stories even more actively than before, and the number of admirers of her work is growing. In particular, during this period she creates a kind fairy tale "The Yellow Book of Fairies"
And in the thirties, Enid gave birth to two daughters from George - Gillian and Imogen.
Then the marriage between Hugh and Enid cracked - the man and woman began to move away from each other. Enid began to suspect her husband that he was cheating on her. As a result, in 1938, she decides to live separately from Hugh, and in 1941 she officially files for divorce. Subsequently, the writer even manages to get a ban on Hugh Pollock's dates with her daughters.
Second marriage and peak of writing career
In the same 1941, Enid Blyton remarried. Her new chosen one was the surgeon Kenneth Darell Waters. The couple settled in a beautiful house located in the English county of Dorset. And it was here that Enid wrote her best works. Over the next twenty-odd years, she created several series of books designed for different age groups. It is interesting that even today they are popular with young readers.
One of the most famous episodes created by Blyton is The Magnificent Five. This series consists of 21 novels (they were written between 1942 and 1963). The main characters here are four teenagers and a dog. This series, for example, includes the novels The Mystery of the Dark Lake (1951), The Mystery of the Gypsy Camp (1954), The Mystery of Billikok Hill (1957), The Mystery of the Golden Clock (1963).
Another series is called "Five young detectives and a faithful dog" - it includes 15 novels. In this episode, five children consistently outpace the local constable in the investigation of intricate and bizarre incidents. Among the books in this series is The Secret of the Invisible Thief (1950). The Mystery of the Kidnapped Prince (1951), The Mystery of the Man with the Scar (1956).
The Secret Seven series, on which Enid Blyton worked from 1949 to 1963, also consists of 15 books. This series follows the adventures of seven inquisitive children (Peter, Jennet, Colin, Barbara, Pam, Jack and George) who founded their secret society. In their free time from school, members of this society help the police to investigate mysterious crimes.
Last years and death
In the last years of her life, Blyton did not write anything - she became a victim of Alzheimer's disease. Back in 1957, the writer began to complain about the emerging shortness of breath and general weakness, and in 1960 she showed the first signs of dementia. At some point, Blyton began to experience very serious problems with memory and orientation in space, which, of course, put an end to her further writing career.
Died Enid Blyton in a nursing home in Hamstead at the end of November 1968.
