Journal 46

[Tony Summerfield]

Do you know how long Chorion have owned the Enid Blyton rights, Tony?

I am not absolutely certain, but they took over just before the Centenary. I think they bought it in 1996 but it might well have been in 1995.

Silly boy that I am, it is in our own chronology!! They bought it in February 1995 for £14.6 million!

[Anita Bensoussane]

Silly boy that I am, it is in our own chronology!!

I didn't think of looking there either! Though February 1995 is when Trocadero took over, so I still don't know about Chorion. The Chronology ends in 1999. Or are Trocadero and Chorion the same thing?

[Tony Summerfield]

Again I'm a bit hazy on detail here but I think Trocadero to Chorion was simply a name change, it was still being run by the same people who took over from Darrell Waters. We had an interview with David Lane, the managing director of Enid Blyton Ltd., in our very first Journal.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks, Tony. That's helpful.

[MJE]

I don't know whether you know, Michael, but it was announced a few weeks ago that Chorion are breaking up. They're in the process of selling off everything, including the rights to Enid Blyton.

     No - I didn't know that. Why are they breaking up?
     Well - I suppose a lot could depend on who buys those rights. Are they likely to be sold all together to someone else, or will the rights to this or that book or series be split up and end up under the control of a hundred different entities?
     Golly - I don't know whether this is a disaster or not (from Enid Blyton's works' point of view - clearly it is for Chorion). I wonder if Disney or someone mega-rich like that might end up in control. I don't know enough about that to know if that would be good or bad; but the idea makes me shudder rather. Or maybe someone totally unconnected might end up owning the rights, such as Lady Gaga - just like Michael Jackson ended up controlling the Beatles' output for some time.
     I suppose the one thing we can be sure of is that the new owner will not have much concern for the historical accuracy or authenticity of Enid Blyton's books. If money and art ever conflict, it's always money that wins, and art ends up butchered.

Regards, Michael.

[Anita Bensoussane]

The company was deeply in debt. See the link for the latest news:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?aq=f&hl= ... &q=chorion" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[MJE]

The company was deeply in debt.

     I guess Enid Blyton can't be quite so profitable after all.
     Is there any idea yet of what's going to happen to Enid Blyton's works? (Those articles in the search you linked to, Anita, don't seem to mention that more than passingly.) I'm just wondering what the implications of this are for Enid Blyton's books, and whether this is more likely to be good or bad. Should we worry about the possibility mentioned of being taken over by "foreign interests". I somehow feel Britain is the natural home of Enid Blyton's work, and it would be better for British interests to have the rights. (I'm not sure if that really makes a difference, and maybe it's just an irrational emotional feeling I have.)
     What *normally* happens to an author's works after the author dies? (That is, assuming the works are successful enough to continue, because I imagine that, for many authors, the answer is, "The books die, go out of print, and get completely forgotten".) If they are not controlled by a company like Chorion, what other options happen sometimes?
     How much are the Blyton rights likely to sell for? I don't suppose there'd be any chance of members of Blyton's family buying them, or other organizations with an interest in Enid Blyton's work that goes beyond the mere profit-making? I guess it would be in the millions - not something E.B.S. members could chip in for, and buy up between them.

     (I didn't know whether to start a new topic for this, or continue here. I almost started a new one; but I've stayed here, since several posts discussing Chorion have already appeared here.)

Regards, Michael.

[Anita Bensoussane]

There's a thread about the break-up of Chorion here, Michael:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... it=chorion" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry if that sounds abrupt - I don't mean to be but we're going out tonight and I've got to log off and start cooking dinner in a minute.

[Sally]

Tony - just a thought, following on from the posts on the sale of EB brand rights by Chorion, would it be a good idea to ask the new CEO of the new owners of the brand (whoever it may be) to come to speak at the next Blyton day about their strategy for the future, amendments to Blyton texts, and even follow on novels by other writers etc. Interaction with the audience would be very interesting! (guess you have thought of this already!)

[Lenoir]

Great bedtime reading as always, thanks to the contributors and editor. Nice to have some new blood as well.

Enid’s “The feel of a house” article was of interest. I also think that a house or place has a feel about it. It is probably a person’s like or dislike for the general ambience of a place that makes it that way.

It was nice to read about the Old Thatch visit and the Green Hedges pilgrimage. Those type of articles always make me want to go and see the places described.

I read Put 'Em Rights it a year or two ago and also thought the tramping preacher a slightly sinister person, but I know he wasn’t meant to be. I certainly enjoy Blyton’s other books much more than this sort of work but it was good to read something different.

How many girls were expelled from St Clare’s, 2 was it? And 1 from Malory I think, and there were others who came close as we see in the article. The article also compares the personalities of the various ‘bad eggs’, and it becomes clear that they are a mixed bunch with different backgrounds and different reasons why they might have ended up the way they did.

Interesting that so many famous authors never even made the shortlist for the Carnegie medal. And wunnerful to see that Enid was appreciated in America!

[Petermax]

Journal 46 duly received and EBS subscription renewed. All I need now is time to sit down and have a good read.

[Redrachel76]

I've been meaning to comment on the last journal for a long time.

What I particularly found interesting in the Enid Boyton article was the context of boys and girls magazines available at the time.
I think it would be interesting to have an article in future exploring what would be on the shelf alongside Sunny Stories in a newsagents in the 40's/50's or whenever.

Most people like me only know Enid's books from the 70's/80's, so the context of what was around when they were first published is interesting.

Also please carry on with the Enid Blyton adult stories series - if there are any left. I find them facinating.

[KayleighLouise]

I only received my journal today and have just finished reading the Put Em Rights article. It was very interesting and I enjoyed the comparisons of the similar stories.its a story I've not read for years and may have to dig out of my bookshelf! Do you think that the way Enid deals with the issues of disability is a reflection of the times it was written in or am I being too forgiving in thinking they were more naïve of such issues back then? I recently read the find-outers story where Fatty comments about Boysie being dropped on his head as a baby and not developing properly and although it would not be acceptable to make these comments today I immediately assumed it was 'how it was' back then? I tend to read Enid Blyton stories with a pinch of salt with regards to some of the language she uses and situations such as hitting others as punishments because society has changed what is now appropriate. It doesn't bother me, it just reminds me how historic she is and aids the imagination of what it was like in yesteryear (we don't see Mr.Goon nowadays! Or have dinner at lunchtime)

[Fiona1986]

Or have dinner at lunchtime)

I still have dinner at lunch time

[KayleighLouise]

those were just two examples of how my experiences differ to those I read about. Maybe I shouldn't have said 'we'