The Famous Five

Picnics, summer holidays, and lashings of ginger beer… it’s hard not to picture the stories of Enid Blyton (1897–1968) when thinking of these nostalgic moments. A prolific writer, Blyton penned over 700 books and thousands of short stories that captured an idyllic childhood full of adventure in the countryside.

Blyton began her career as a schoolteacher before becoming a bestselling children’s book author. A nature writer early in her career, she had an atmospheric style that found its way into her work through detailed presentations of the rural landscape in her stories. Though her works spanned multiple genres, it was stories that focused on family that were her favourite to write.

One of Blyton’s most popular works was The Famous Five, a series of children’s adventure stories that centre around a group of four cousins – Julian, Dick, Anne and, George – and George’s dog, Timmy. Reproduced here are the illustrations from the covers of two books in the series, Five on a Treasure Island and Five on Finniston Farm. Whether it’s shipwrecks or lost treasure, each time the five meet, a whirlwind of summer adventures ensues.

These classic images are the works of Eileen Soper (1905–1990), whose illustrations bring the wonderfully nostalgic quality of Blyton’s stories to life. We are honoured to celebrate Enid Blyton’s legacy with this commemorative design.