Enid Blyton

Literary Birthday – 11 August – Enid Blyton

Enid Blyton was born on 11 August 1897 and died on 28 November 1968.

Enid Blyton Quotes

  1. Oh, well, when I say never frighten a child, there’s always the odd one that needs a good scaring.
  2. The best way to treat obstacles is to use them as stepping-stones. Laugh at them, tread on them, and let them lead you to something better.
  3. Hatred is so much easier to win than love – and so much harder to get rid of.
  4. You’re trying to escape from your difficulties, and there never is any escape from difficulties, never. They have to be faced and fought.
  5. Writing for children is an art in itself, and a most interesting one.
  6. I have written, probably, more books for children than any other writer, from story-books to plays, and can claim to know more about interesting children than most.
  7. I shut my eyes for a few minutes, with my portable typewriter on my knee – I make my mind a blank and wait – and then, as clearly as I would see real children, my characters stand before me in my mind’s eye … The first sentence comes straight into my mind, I don’t have to think of it – I don’t have to think of anything. (Wikipedia)
  8. If I tried to think out or invent the whole book, I could not do it. For one thing, it would bore me and for another, it would lack the ‘verve’ and the extraordinary touches and surprising ideas that flood out from my imagination. (Wikipedia)

Source for quotes 1-6: A-Z Quotes

Enid Blyton was a prolific and hugely popular British author who wrote stories, poems, plays, and educational books for children. From 1924 to around 1965, Blyton wrote more than 600 books for children, as well as countless articles for magazines. Her books have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 90 languages. Her best-known series include Noddy, The Famous FiveThe Secret SevenMalory TowersSt. Clare’s, and The Magic Faraway Tree. Blyton’s stories are known for their exciting plots, clear writing, and traditional moral lessons. Her young characters are often independent, adventurous, and willing to challenge authority. Her simple and accessible style also made her books popular with young and developing readers. Blyton’s stories have remained popular for generations and have been adapted into numerous plays, television series, and musicals.

Source for photograph: Author Page, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons


by Amanda Patterson
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Posted on: 11th August 2013
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