A new book about Enid

[Green Hedges]

There is a top London publisher who thinks a book I've recently written called 'THIS IS HIS ENID' could be 'really very special'. However, there are a couple of practical things that have come up that I thought I might be able to get help with from other Blyton enthusiasts.

It's an extremely pro-Enid book, part biography and part fictional homage. Each of the main chapters ends with a scene I've written involving the incredible Fatty, Bets and the rest of the Find-Outers, who are effectively shadowing my own first-person investigation of Enid's life.

Throughout the book I've been careful not to quote more than I'm legally entitled to of Blyton's actual words, so as not to infringe copyright law. Although written in a very direct and accessible way, the book is for adults, digging as deeply as it can into the events of Enid's life and into her personality. I think I do this in a humane way: I have a great deal of empathy with my subject. However, it is probably unrealistic to expect Chorion to officially endorse the text - after all they and Disney are about to try and market the Famous Five to a new generation of children. But I do want to let Chorion know about the existence of the book and would welcome any advice as to a suitable person to contact.

The manuscript that has caught the eye of the publisher contains a few full-page images by Eileen Soper from Famous Five books. The publisher - who not surprisingly loves the exquisite period images - wants to know if he'd get permission to use them. I'm wondering if it's Hodder Headline (was Hodder Stoughton) or Chorion that own the copyright. I know that this has come up before in the 'Illustrators' section of the Forum, though at that stage the copyright owner question was left unanswered. Tony? Anita? Viv?... Anyone at all know?

I followed with interest the recent topic posted by Mandy, who was worried that her plans to do something in a teaching/reading/theatrical context were threatened by the permissions question. Viv, you had some useful advice for her. Any for me? I hope that my own book will be fine because even if the prospective publisher can't use the Soper images (and there must be a good chance he won't be able to) I have many contacts in the contemporary art world and I'm hoping it will be possible to come up with something equally stunning.

I really hope this book gets into the public realm. I have new things to say about the creative powerhouse that was Enid Blyton. Particularly about the influence of Enid's father (on all her vast output as a writer), on her first husband (particularly on the Mysteries), and her second husband (especially on the Famous Five books). Hence the proposed title of the book.

The Find-Outers circa 1950 have a fair stab at solving 'The Mystery of Enid Blyton' as well. In fact I'll be quite happy if readers think that they get closer to the truth than I alone in 2006 ever could.

Best wishes,

Duncan McLaren (aka Green Hedges)

[Timmy-the-dog]

Hi Green Hedges

This project really does sound interesting and certainly a new approach. I'll be in the queue to buy a copy!

As far as the use of the Eileen Soper illustrations is concerned, I am sure it is Hodder & Stoughton who own the copywrite even if the originals are long gone. I did quite a bit of research into the Blyton illustrators some time ago and the information that I have is that all the original artwork for the Famous Five series was skipped!! This was during refurbishment of the premises in the 1960's. Quite amazing really but just about par for the course at that time. I suspect it all went and that none was kept by employees - some would have surfaced by now, I am sure. I think it was Norman Wright who told me an employee had managed to save some of the Biggles artwork. It's pretty certain that none of Eileen Soper's work survived though - not even a picture of me!!

cheers
Timmy

[Tony Summerfield]

This sounds very interesting Duncan, but I would need to know quite a bit more about the book to be able to talk properly about copyright problems. It might be best if you sent me an email 'off air'. You talk about it being part biography, but I have to be honest and say that every biography I have read has leant heavily if not wholly on Barbara Stoney's Biography, without her book nobody would really know anything at all about her early life - and that includes her own family.

I presume when you talk about Eileen Soper Famous Five pictures you are talking about book covers and I believe the copyright position might be very different for these - I used almost 2000 images in my own Bibliographies, and some of these have been used in the new edition of Barbara Stoney's book. One thing I am certain of, the copyright here would be nothing to do with Chorion.

Using the fictional characters Fatty and Co. might be a very different matter and I don't really know the answer to it. Past experience would seem to suggest that Chorion would be unlikely to 'endorse' your book, but perhaps again this is something better discussed elsewhere.

I hope to hear more from you.

Best wishes
Tony

[Anita Bensoussane]

I don't know much about copyright issues but it sounds like a fascinating delve into Enid Blyton's psyche, Duncan, and I like the idea of the Find-Outers being involved in the investigation. I'm sure I'll be there in the queue with Timmy-the-dog to buy a copy of the book! Let us know how things go.

Anita

[Julian]

Hi Duncan. Congrats on getting published!!!

I found links on Heather's webbie to article that tell about your book. My eyes are open for it!

...which leads me to ask, are you THE Duncan McClaren? I'm sure you are.

Congrats again

[Ming]

...which leads me to ask, are you THE Duncan McClaren? I'm sure you are.

Why shouldn't he be?

[Green Hedges]

Yes, Julian. Thanks to that Observer article (see thread: 'the mystery of the odd anagram') my name comes up mis-spelt here and there as McClaren. But the actual spelling is McLaren. Maybe the journalist (whose piece gave 'Looking For Enid' excellent publicity) was just trying to make sure that if anyone tried to come up with anagrams of my name they'd be slightly wrong!

I'm talking live on BBC Radio Scotland, Radio Café for ten minutes on Monday, the day of the book's official publication (though I saw several copies of it in a neat pile in the Perth branch of Waterstone's today). You might be able to access that programme through the BBC Radio website, but I'm not sure. I think they plan to use a clip of Enid speaking about herself from the archive. I think also they will read a couple of quotes from her work. I'm planning to enjoy it, though I do sound more serious in these situations than you might think from my voice in the book. On the trail of Enid Blyton... At the computer while writing up my research... That's when I'm really relaxed!

Best wishes
Duncan

[pete9012S]

Throughout the book I've been careful not to quote more than I'm legally entitled to of Blyton's actual words, so as not to infringe copyright law.

Duncan McLaren (aka Green Hedges)

Interesting point.How much can one legally quote? Has anyone actually got into serious trouble over this?
Do websites like ours here get special dispensation to quote Enid?

[Fiona1986]

I was all excited thinking there was a new Blyton book!

[pete9012S]

I was all excited thinking there was a new Blyton book!

Soz!

[Moonraker]

So did I! Trust Pete to go back five years!

[pete9012S]

So did I! Trust Pete to go back five years!

Its brought about by 'Fear of Julia asking you why you started a new thread,instead of checkin' the forums to see if theres already one goin' on ya chosen topic'!