Enid Blyton recommends....

[Judith Crabb]

I'm working on a journal article at the moment based on a rare pamphlet by Enid Blyton. In it she recommends some 'first-class' writers for children from among her contemporaries. She gives eight names, but there are actually ten writers (that's a clue). Is anyone brave enough to hazard a guess? An obvious winner will be someone who has come across this list. She adds, 'These are not all - ask your young friends' so there are no 'wrong' answers but of course there are eight correct names.

[Susie9598]

Ok I will have a go but I don’t expect I’ll get one right!

Rosemary sutcliffe
Malcolm saville
Geoffrey trease (?sp)
Richmal crompton
Capt. Marryat (not a contemporary but probably in print still at the time)
George Mac Donald Fraser (only because I know EB liked him)

Have run out of inspiration now.

[Judith Crabb]

You did get one right Susie - Malcolm Saville. (There is one writer listed who is on record as being a bit dismissive of Enid Blyton, but none on the list are as critical as Geoffrey Trease who is not listed.) Two other clues - all were living at the time she wrote the list and all wrote for young people, not adults.
One down, seven to go!

[pete9012S]

John Pudney?

[Jomo]

My first instinct was Rosemary Sutcliffe - but not quite a contemporary, first published in 1950, followed by The Eagle of the Ninth in 1954. Probably my bias, I loved all her books and still read them.
A.A. Milne
J.M. Barrie
P.L. Travers
Roald Dahl
Arthur Ransome
Noel Streatfield

[Jomo]

Eleanor Farjeon - but I think they were deadly rivals

[Judith Crabb]

I can already see some great lists of writers coming out of this topic. Sorry Pete, but not John Pudney. On the other hand Jomo (welcome fellow Aussie) you've added another correct answer - and, coincidentally, you've mis-spelt her name exactly as it is mis-spelt in the original article! Noel Streatfeild. (I remember how to spell her name by saying to myself 'two spelling errors'). As for Rosemary Sutcliff, no, Enid does not list her, but had I been asked as a child she was definitely one of my favourites.
Two down six to go.

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

Percy Westerman
Frank Richards

[Jomo]

C.S. Lewis
Philippa Pearce - possibly too late - What year was EB’s list made?

[Judith Crabb]

No more 'hits' I'm afraid to say.
I'm not sure of the date but I'd say probably 1950s.
Of the remaining six there's only one whom I consider very obvious, although I and a lot of other girls especially read three or four others on the list avidly. (Think ponies.)

[Jomo]

Monica Edwards!

My older sister was addicted to a series of books ‘Kit Hunter, Show Jumper’ that I see were by Peter Grey. But I doubt they would have made the EB list.
I tried reading one, but was too bored to finish it.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I'm working on a journal article at the moment based on a rare pamphlet by Enid Blyton. In it she recommends some 'first-class' writers for children from among her contemporaries. She gives eight names, but there are actually ten writers (that's a clue).

The pamphlet sounds interesting, Judith. From your clue, I'll guess that one recommendation might have been

The Pullein-Thompson sisters (Diana, Josephine and Christine). My sister and I read some of their pony books as children.

Other guesses:

Stephen Mogridge
Kathleen Fidler
Hilda Boden
W. E. Johns

...none on the list are as critical as Geoffrey Trease who is not listed.

I once read the first few titles in Geoffrey Trease's Bannerdale series and they weren't a patch on Enid Blyton. They were somewhat imitative of Arthur Ransome and Malcolm Saville, but with all the excitement sucked out!

[Judith Crabb]

Yes, Jomo, Monica Edwards, a favourite of mine is on the list. And Anita, you have added two names and four writers. W.E. Johns was the writer I thought might be obvious and the Pullein-Thompson sisters were popular for their pony stories.
Which leaves three missing names. None are obvious so I'll give a couple more clues. One, who wrote adventure stories under a pseudonym, was the son of a prominent publisher and was tired of living under his father's shadow. The other, I realise, did write adult novels (detective) but was also a writer of pony stories and the mother of the Pullein-Thompsons.

[Kate Mary]

Joanna Cannan of course, I can't think of the other one but how about;

Freda Hurt
Jane Shaw
Mary Norton

Anyway I'll look forward to reading your article Judith.

[Jomo]

I thought of W E Johns, and ‘Biggles’ but discounted it as a favourite of EB’s, though I know they both topped the list of children’s favourites.

Biggles was a favourite of my fathers, prior to that Richmal Cromptom’s William series, which I didn’t discover until I was 9 or 10. Dad was most disparaging as he’d moved on from William by the age of 7.