Enid Blyton Society Publications

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shadow
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Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by shadow »

I have been reading Letters from Bundle and Cosy this week and just got into wondering how many other great booklets I am missing out on. I know that the shop doesn’t list all of the publications for sale as some of them are now out of print. I recently bought the three Bobs booklets from ebay as they were not available in the shop and really loved reading them. It would be lovely to own the real thing but I don’t think that will ever be a reality for my pocket.

I thought that there was a list somewhere on the site and I found it amongst Enid Blyton Day 2002? of all places. I reprint it here, updated with the latest issues.

*** goes off to have a good look at the online shop, for research purposes of course ***

Enid Blyton Society Publications

Enid Blyton’s Magazine 1953-1959: An Index (1994)
Sunny Stories 1942-1953: An Index (1995)
Enid Blyton’s Sunny Stories 1937-1941: An Index (1996)
Sunny Stories for Little Folks 1926-1936: An Index (April 1998)
The Wonderful Adventure (June 1999)
The Teachers World 1922 – Friday Afternoon Stories (May 2002)
The Teachers World 1926 – Monthly Seasonal Stories (May 2003)
Letters From Bobs (May 2003)
Enid Blyton in the Sunday Graphic (July 2003)
More Letters From Bobs (July 2003)
Amelia Jane: Short Story Character Booklet No. 1 (November 2003)
Bobs Again (November 2003)
Mister Meddle: Short Story Character Booklet No. 2 (March 2004)
Enid Blyton in the Evening Standard (March 2004)
Feefo, Tuppeny and Jinks: Uncollected Picture Strip No. 1 (July 2004)
Letters from Bundle and Cosy & Enid Blyton [Sunday Dispatch] (July 2004)
Tales of the Circus (November 2004)
The Exciting Birthday (November 2004)
Farmyard Tales (November 2004)
Fun in Toy-Town (November 2004)
The Secret Seven: Uncollected Picture Strip No. 2 (May 2005)
Merry Moments 1925: Uncollected Stories from the 1920s No. 1 (May 2005)
Wendy Wins Through (May 2006)
The Luck of the Laytons (May 2006)
A Non Stop Run (May 2007)
Sports and Games (May 2007)
Jolly Times (May 2008)
Bobs and His Friends: Uncollected Picture Strip No. 3 (May 2010)
More Bobs and His Friends: Uncollected Picture Strip No. 4 (May 2010)
Enid Blyton: An Illustrated Bibliography, Part 1 (1922-1942) (May 2002)
Enid Blyton: An Illustrated Bibliography, Part 2 (1943-1952) (December 2002)
Enid Blyton: An Illustrated Bibliography, Part 3 (1953-1962) (October 2003)
Enid Blyton: An Illustrated Bibliography, Part 4 (1963-1974) (May 2005)
Five Fall Into Adventure: Original Script of the 1978-79 TV Series (May 2010)
Tales of Romance: Stories of Chivalry and Spencer's Faerie Queene (May 2012)
Tales of Romance: King Charlemagne and the Paladins of France (May 2012)
Tales of Romance: King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (May 2012)
The Wonderful Adventure (New reprint) [New edition] (May 2012)
Tricked on the Track (May 2012)
Merry Moments - Book 1 (November 2012)
Merry Moments - Book 2 (November 2012)
Merry Moments - Book 3 (November 2012)
Merry Moments - Book 4 (November 2012)
Leicester Advertiser (November 2012)
Enid Blyton Society Journal 1-49

Compiling this I notice the Merry Moments booklets (1-4) seem to have appeared overnight (although knowing me they have been there at least a year). How long have they been for sale and what are they about? Are they connected to the Merry Moments published in May 05? Christmas is just around the corner after all and it would be highly amusing when I tell the other half what he has to buy.

I am also very interested in the Bilbliographys but at the price that they are I can’t quite justify buying them. Are there any plans to have them as an e-book or similar at a price then more in line with the society booklet costs?

Also is this the full list of publications?

OK I will shut up now. :roll:
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Anita Bensoussane
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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

The Merry Moments booklets (1-4) have only just come out, Shadow - they were sent to the printers along with the current Journal (number 49). I've seen them and, at between 70 and 80 pages each, they're great value for money. As for the contents, they're rather exciting as the booklets contain some of Enid Blyton's earliest published work. Society member David Chambers, who writes regularly for the Journal, uncovered a wealth of Enid Blyton contributions in Merry Moments magazines dating from 1921 and 1922, as well as other material that was uncredited but might possibly be by Enid Blyton. Most are fairy tales and stories about children, though there are picture-strips and poems too. They've been brought together in the four booklets. The other Merry Moments booklet, published by the Society in 2005, contained material from Merry Moments Annuals and I don't think David or Tony even knew at that point that there had also been Merry Moments magazines.

The Leicester Advertiser booklet has also just been released. Again, the material was collected by David Chambers from copies of the Leicester Advertiser published between 1922 and 1926. It consists of stories and poems, all credited to Enid Blyton, most of which are delightfully illustrated by Phyllis Chase. Like the Merry Moments booklets, it contains some wonderful early work by Enid - whimsical, charming, amusing, observant, clever and imaginative. It has 55 pages.

All five booklets include an introduction by David Chambers.
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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by shadow »

Thanks for that Anita, looks like I'll have to add a few things to my Christmas list. Problem is there's a few out of print ones I want as well.
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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by Kate Mary »

Great news about the Merry Moments and Leicester Advertiser booklets, I shall certainly buy them. All the Society publications are worth having and, like Shadow. I wish I had the out of print titles.

Elsewhere on the Forums, Tony mentions that subscriptions are falling and the Journal makes a loss, but here is a way of adding to the Society coffers; buy the Society publications.

I appreciate all the hard work that must have gone into them and it is good to have the opportunity to own early and rare Blyton stories.

Kate

PS I can highly recommend Letters from Bundle and Cosy.
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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by Tony Summerfield »

I only added the five new booklets to the shop this morning after I got the bill from the printers! There was a lot of work involved in producing these booklets and they have taken me the best part of the last three months. There were five new booklets for sale at the EB Day, so 2012 has been a bumper year with a total of ten booklets. All ten booklets have had a very small print run as none of the booklets that the Society has produced in the last few years has even managed to break even - it is always a loss making venture, but I am still pleased to have the material in print as otherwise it would be lost for ever. Because of the small print run the Merry Moments booklets may seem a bit pricey, but I have to sell almost all of them just to break even! When they are sold out it is very unlikely that I will reprint them unless a miracle happens and I get swamped with orders!

I will add the publication dates that are missing to your list above, Shadow.
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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by Kate Mary »

I have just finished reading the first Merry Moments booklet, it was wonderful, I am already a fan of the 'Rough and Fluff and Polly Pat' comic strip. Before I start on volume two, I shall re-read David Chambers articles in Journals 44 and 45. Many thanks to David for his research and Tony for having these stories reprinted.

Kate.
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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by Poppy »

Hi everyone!

I have been having a browse in the online shop and I have come across a few titles which I have never heard of and sound very interesting. Particually these titles:

Wendy Wins Through

The Luck of the Laytons

Sports and Games

The Non-Stop Run

Jolly Times

I was wondering about the length of these stories (are they short stories or long ones?) Perhaps someone who has purchased one of these would be able to tell me?

Thanks very much!
Poppy.
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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by Katharine »

Poppy, I have 'A Non Stop Run'. It's the same sort of size as the Society Journal, and has 32 pages. It contains a short story of 4 chapters about two children travelling by train on their own. This is interpersed with a few railway related poems and some black and white drawings. There is an article about the railways in Switerland and another about other speical railways around the world. There are a couple of short articles about different features of the railways such as how level crossings work, and another poem or two. There are a lot of illustrations in the book.

I found it interesting mainly from the historical point of view in comparing the diffences/similarities of rail travel 80 years ago to that of today.

I did wonder how many of the facts such as cow catchers on trains in Canada, and travelling on a rack railway in Switzerland Enid had actually experienced, and how much she was just re-writing information she'd heard elsewhere.
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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by Poppy »

Hi Katharine!

Thanks very much for the information you have posted. I assume all the booklets will be about the same length then, and maybe the ones that cost a little more are a bit longer? I might go for Sports and Games or the Non Stop Run! I'll have to work out how much it will cost with postage aswell! Thanks again!

Poppy. :D
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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Of the five booklets you've listed, Poppy, I think the best are The Luck of the Laytons and Wendy Wins Through. They contain three short stories each, with illustrations, and I find them fascinating. The stories in the other three booklets are also of interest but are not as "meaty".
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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by Poppy »

Thanks for that, Anita. Yes, I understand what you mean about some stories being a bit 'meatier'. The Luck of the Laytons sounds nice, and so does Wendy Wins Through. I'll have a look! :D Thanks!
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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

The Luck of the Laytons is my personal favourite. One of the stories in that is particularly unusual and surprising.
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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by Poppy »

Yes, the title particualy apealed to me, and I have sent Tony a PM asking about the postage prices. :D
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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

I have all of those booklets, Poppy and I like them all. My favourite is the Non Stop Run, because I find the train journey has a lovely nostalgia feel to it.

I also have The Wonderful Adventure, which you might enjoy too. :)

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Re: Enid Blyton Society Publications

Post by Poppy »

Thanks Julie, I didn't see The Wonderful Adventure, I'll have a look at that too! :D
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