Enid Blyton's work criticised for 'racism, xenophobia and lack of literary merit'

English Heritage, the charity in charge of managing over 400 historic monuments in the United Kingdom, has sparked controversy after its website updated a profile of bestselling author Enid Blyton to include a section on “racism in Blyton’s works”.

“Blyton’s work has been criticised during her lifetime and after for its racism, xenophobia and lack of literary merit,” states the charity on its page for Blyton.

While the move won’t affect its iconic Blue Plaques, which mark historical sites in the UK, it has marked a shift in how the charity approaches problematic historical figures. “A 1966 Guardian article noted the racism of The Little Black Doll (1966), in which the doll of the title, Sambo, is only accepted by his owner once his ‘ugly black face’ is washed ‘clean’ by rain. In 1960 the publisher Macmillan refused to publish her story The Mystery That Never Was for what it called its ‘faint but unattractive touch of old-fashioned xenophobia’. The book, however, was later published by William Collins,” writes English Heritage.

In 2016, the Royal Mint opted not it include Blyton on a commemorative 50p coin, as she was “known to have been a racist, sexist, homophone and not a very well-regarded writer”.

Blyton enjoys global popularity due to the success of her children’s books, with series like the Famous Five, Secret Seven, and Noddy.

English Heritage had pledged to review its blue plaques after 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests.

The move sparked controversy on Twitter, as fans of the author claimed the incident was another example of “cancel culture”.

However, English Heritage responded in a series of tweets.

"Our 1997 Blue Plaque to Enid Blyton is back in the news along with our online bio of the children's author, whose books are loved by many," it said. "We can fit about 19 words on each plaque. Our website provides a fuller picture of the person's life, including any uncomfortable aspects.”

"We have no plans whatsoever to remove any of our blue plaques,” it added. "We'll continue to update our website so that the story behind each plaque - and each person - is told in full."