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Enid Blyton was one of the most successful authors of the twentieth
century. Her writing is beloved by generations of children and has been
widely translated and adapted for the screen. Extremely prolific during
her lifetime, Blyton left a legacy of novels that have become hallmarks
of British children's literature. Her books achieved significant popular
success worldwide, selling over 400 million copies overall. According
to UNESCO's Index Translationum, she is the sixth most translated author
worldwide (with over 3400 translations of her books available in 2007,
Blyton is just behind Lenin and almost equal to Shakespeare). Enormously
popular in Britain, Malta, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Singapore,
the former Yugoslavia, Japan, and across much of the globe, her work
has been translated into nearly 90 languages.
Blyton often wrote books in series, basing them on recurring
characters and designing each series specifically for different age
groups. One of her most widely known characters is Noddy, intended for
beginning readers. Her seminal works, however, are her young readers'
novels. In these books young characters routinely ride out their own
adventures with minimal adult help. Particularly popular in this genre
were her series The Famous Five (1942-1963, 21 novels following four
children and their dog), The Five Find-Outers and Dog (1943-1961, 15
novels in which five children regularly outwit the local police), and
The Secret Seven (1949-1963, 15 novels about a society of seven children
who solve various mysteries). Her work most consistently involves adventure
stories, sometimes including fantasy and magic.
Original artwork below was created for the Famous Five
and Secret Seven annuals.
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