Hachette Reverting to Classic Text for the Famous Five!

[Paul Greaves]

Well, a rare admission of a mistake from a publisher (having been in the industry 26 years, it's rare...)
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/hache ... ext-394046" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I notice that they're releasing a hardback of the first FF book but having checked with the publisher, unfortunately only the first one is getting a hardback release https://www.amazon.co.uk/Five-Treasure- ... ure+island" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

However, it appears that the retro cover style is getting released in a paperback box set currently available through The Book People: https://www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/ ... amous+five" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Anita Bensoussane]

Thanks for the links, Paul. Tony and I went to the Hodder headquarters for lunch last month and Anne McNeil told us the news about the classic texts and showed us one of the Famous Five illustrations by Laura Ellen Anderson. Although the article in The Bookseller talks of Hodder "reverting to using the original Enid Blyton texts", the "classic" Famous Five texts actually date from 1997 and they still contain quite a lot of edits, though the revisions are less intrusive than the 2010 alterations (which the article mistakenly says were made in 2012).

[Fiona1986]

I suspected it was too good to be true!

[Lucky Star]

A positive article in the Daily Mail today.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... guage.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[floragord]

Good news indeed! I enjoyed reading that 'Mother/Father' (rather than Mum/Dad), 'fellow' instead of man, 'peculiar' not strange, 'school tunic' not uniform, 'galoshes' not wellies, 'trippers' not tourists, 'you bet' not definitely, 'luncheon' not lunch and 'sou'wester' not rain hat will revert to form . Hope you had a lovely lunch(eon!) and enjoyable discussion, Anita and Tony.

[Tony Summerfield]

I hate being misquoted or even just partially quoted which can alter the meaning of what you said. I spoke yesterday to the Guardian, the Telegraph and the Times, but had no contact with the Daily Mail at all and yet I am quoted in it! I got an email from them yesterday evening, but it was quite late when I read it and I thought that it was too late to do anything about replying.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Hope you had a lovely lunch(eon!) and enjoyable discussion, Anita and Tony.

Thanks, Flora. You can read more about it here:

http://www.enidblytonsociety.co.uk/foru ... te#p275417" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Newspapers and magazines do seem to lift stories from one another! At least the reporter in The Daily Mail has spelt the illustrator's name correctly - Laura Ellen Anderson. The Bookseller and The Telegraph have Laura Ellen Andersen (or they did when I last looked, though details like that can be corrected in online editions).

[Tony Summerfield]

I had to go and buy a copy of The Times as you can't see it online if you don't subscribe and I was worried about what he might have written. Unlike the other two papers he has quoted me accurately, perhaps he was recording the call!

It is a while since I read any of the Famous Five books, but I don't remember the expression 'jolly japes' being used although it gets quoted in most articles. Perhaps a more recent reader of the books can enlighten me.

[Daisy]

I must admit I wondered about "jolly japes" too and wondered if it came from the same source as "lashings of ginger beer."

[joanne_chan]

It makes a pleasant change when someone can just admit they got those changes wrong and revert to the original terms for upcoming editions. As well, we've had some good publicity from this too.

[Tony Summerfield]

I have just been talking to a producer at BBC Breakfast (TV) and she says that there is going to be a discussion about this on the programme tomorrow morning if anybody is interested.

[John Pickup]

Returning from York Book Fair earlier today, I heard mention of this on the Radio 2 news. Unfortunately, I am working 6-2 tomorrow so I won't be able to watch the discussion.

[Francis]

I had to go and buy a copy of The Times as you can't see it online if you don't subscribe and I was worried about what he might have written. Unlike the other two papers he has quoted me accurately, perhaps he was recording the call!

It is a while since I read any of the Famous Five books, but I don't remember the expression 'jolly japes' being used although it gets quoted in most articles. Perhaps a more recent reader of the books can enlighten me.

I have bought 'The Times' and will enjoy reading your quotes!

[Fiona1986]

My library should have a copy of The Times so I will check it out when I'm in on Monday night.

[Francis]

I must admit I wondered about "jolly japes" too and wondered if it came from the same source as "lashings of ginger beer."

Interestingly I am reading ''Dead Man's Folly" by Agatha Christie and she uses the word "lashings"!