Bulldog Licensing has announced further deals for the Enid Blyton brand, with Smiffy’s and Widdop and Co. Ltd both signing agreements.
Enid Blyton’s best-known work is The Famous Five series, but her titles also include Malory Towers and The Secret Seven. Her books have delighted successive generations of British children, sold hundreds of millions of copies, and regularly feature in the top ten list of the best-selling authors in the UK. Enid Blyton also has huge international appeal and is the fourth most translated author in history – after Agatha Christie, Jules Verne and William Shakespeare.
The deals with Smiffys will see the company produce fancy dress for World Book Day 2018 featuring characters from The Famous Five, Malory Towers and The Twins at St Clare’s. Meanwhile, Widdop and Co. Ltd is on board for a range of products, including ceramics, glassware, kitchen accessories, camping kits, cushions, gardening items, and baking items
This adds to a growing licensing programme, with Gibsons recently signed for puzzles and The Lagoon Group for toys and games. Bulldog Licensing is launching The Famous Five programme this year to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the first book, with greetings cards, stationery, and gift products all on the way. In addition, a series of tongue-in-cheek Famous Five books for grown-ups has been a publishing sensation – regularly topping the bestseller charts.
“We are dealing with a huge amount of interest in the Enid Blyton brand, as evidenced by signing four licensing agreements in just the last few weeks,” says Bulldog Licensing Director Vicky Hill. “Licensees are anxious to tap into the huge nostalgic appeal of Enid Blyton’s work and we expect to be announcing even more deals soon.”