Author’s first adventure of an illustrious career
Armed
with maps, torches, packets of sandwiches and a plentiful supply of ginger beer, the Famous Five were always off on an exciting adventure.
They spent their holidays hiking and biking, camping and exploring – and inevitably seemed to fall into a trip far more full of excitement.
They’re the childhood books whose old-fashioned charm won over generations.
And this week marks 77 years since the first of the Famous Five children’s novels was published.
The year 1942 was a milestone in Enid Blyton’s life – the year when the first title in the smash-hit series, Five On A Treasure Island, hit the shelves.
It turned out to be the first in a long line, with 20 more Famous Five books following.
Julian, Dick, Anne, their tomboy cousin George and Timmy the dog liked nothing better than to visit and discover thrilling places – Kirrin Island, Smuggler’s Top, the lighthouse at Demon’s Rocks and farms, castles, caves and secret passages.
Blyton was one of the 20th Century’s most prolific children’s authors – and it’s a career that seemed to lay its foundations in her early years.
Her parents wanted her to become a concert pianist, but Blyton wanted to be a teacher.
She began teaching in 1919 in Kent, not far from where she grew up in Beckenham but she left the profession and began to have more success with her books.
As a child, Blyton was noted for her gift of storytelling. In 1922 she published her first book, a collection of poems called Child Whispers.
By 1924, Blyton was making a steady income from her writing and, two years later, she began editing children’s magazine Sunny Stories.
The first full-length book published was The Wishing Chair in 1937, followed by The Secret Island, The Enchanted Wood and The Naughtiest Girl In The School.
But it was the Famous Five that would become her most popular creation.
In 1949, The Secret Seven became the first book in a similar series catering to younger readers.
In the same year Blyton created the character Noddy.
There have been numerous adaptations of the Famous Five over the years including cinema films, stage plays, TV series and, more recently, a Disney cartoon.
However, the original books have never been out of print. More than two million copies are still sold every year and the series was even voted British adults’ favourite childhood books of all time in 2010.