English Heritage labels children's author Enid Blyton 'racist' and 'xenophobic'

Iconic English children’s book writer Enid Blyton was labelled 'racist' and 'xenophobic' by the English Heritage. 

In a new update on its website, English Heritage acknowledged that the Famous Five writer had problematic views which were racist, sexist and xenophobic.

Blyton has widely been criticized over the years, despite her work being read by generations.

The Royal Mint in 2019 had also halted plans for giving her a commemorative coin after members described her as “a racist, sexist homophobe and not a very well-regarded writer”.

The Telegraph reported that English Heritage had earlier pledged, after last year’s Black Lives Matter protests, that it would review all of its contentious figures.

“Blyton’s work has been criticised during her lifetime and after for its racism, xenophobia and lack of literary merit,” reads a section of her page.

“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,” it read further.

“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,” added the page.

The website further noted that some “have argued that while these charges can’t be dismissed, her work still played a vital role in encouraging a generation of children to read”.