Biographical note

Enid Blyton is one of the worlds' best-loved storytellers. Her books have sold over 500 million copies and have been translated into more languages more often than any other children's author. She wrote over 700 books and 2,000 short stories, including favourites such as The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, The Magic Faraway Tree and Malory Towers. Born in London in 1897, Enid lived much of her life in Buckinghamshire and adored dogs, gardening and the countryside. She died in 1968 but remains one of the world's best-loved storytellers. Mark Beech was born in Pendle, Lancashire and loved to draw from an early age. His very popular work regularly includes scary dragons, wild dinosaurs, grumpy witches and many other whacky creatures. He is the illustrator of all the Magic Faraway Tree books. Mark lives in the Forest of Bowland, where he enjoys walking with his dog Bungle.