Hachette UK Buys Rights to Enid Blyton Properties
Hachette UK is the new owner of the rights of Enid Blyton‘s estate with the exception of the Noddy Library (those rights were recently purchased by Classic Media).
Hachette Children’s Books rep Marlene Johnson said, “I am absolutely delighted that we have acquired world rights to publish Enid Blyton. Hodder was her original publisher, so it is fitting that her whole portfolio has come home and will now be published and managed under one roof. We will be honouring existing contracts and will be in touch with licensees in due course.”
Johnson also noted that Hachette has “great plans for the future. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Famous Five and much-loved illustrators including Quentin Blake, Helen Oxenbury and Emma Chichester Clark have reinterpreted the classic characters for a new generation.”
HarperCollins currently publishes Blyton’s Noddy series, with Egmont the current publishers of other Blyton series including Malory Towers and the Wishing Chair Adventures. Hachette currently publishes electronic, print and audio versions of Famous Five, Secret Seven and Naughtiest Girl, and audio editions of Malory Towers and St Clare’s in the United Kingdom and France.
Chorion has been selling off its various properties due to approximately £70 million in debt.
When my son Michael was 1 months old I bought the Sunny Stories magazine. Most mornings he would sit o my lap whilst I read the stories and I pointed to each word whilst doing so. He then crayoned in the pictures and did the maze puzzle. When I came home from hospital with my second son, Michael asked if he could read to him. Much to my amazement he read the stories word for word. Michael was 3 yrs and 3 weeks old! He also read the Sunny Story Book. That lovely little magazine was perfect for toddlers! I would add that when Michael started school, he was put in the class for 8 year olds for lessons – but joined the 5 year olds for games and painting etc. The Sunny Stories magazine was perfect for toddlers – so much nicer than comics. Mike not only learned to read from them but also to write and before he went to school could write his name and address clearly as well as the lots of words. Today’scomics are not very nice and are extremely expensive and packed with loads of unwanted cheap plastic toys from China, I now have 3 great grandchildren and would dearly like to be able to get the Sunny Storie magazine. Is it possible for them to be republished – exactly as they used to be? Also, do you have any publishing rights for any comics? If so, can you make them without the stuff from China -just a paper comic? Help to save the environment. All that plastic being shipped to UK and goodness knows what happens to it! None of the toys are needed – the kids all seem to have enough toys to open a shop and the ones that do not the parents cannot afford the high cost of comics! I would also like to get the Sunny Story book. Michael used to carry out the actions of the boy in lone story. The boy made his father angry with teh way he ate hi food and made him eat from a bowl on the floor like a dog. Also, the boy kept leaving the garden and wandering off, even wandering off some times when out with his parents, so the father put him on a lead like a dog. Michael for a day or so wanted his food in a bowl on the floor and be tied to a lead! I do so hope the magazine gan be reissued. No scarey stories, no outer space monsters, just pleasant stories easy to read by children.