Source : Times of India
Children’s author Enid Blyton was rejected from featuring on a commemorative 50p coin.
Enid Byton is a popular children’s author. She wrote over 600 books which have been enjoyed by generations. Some of her best known series are the The Famous Five, The Secret Seven, St Clare’s, Malory Towers, The Naughtiest Girl, Noddy, The Adventure Series and The Magic Faraway Tree. Some, like the Famous Five and Noddy, have even been adapted to screen and her books are still so popular that recently a live action series of Malory Towers has been announced.
Despite her seemingly timeless popularity, the author won’t be featured on a coin in her home country. The advisory committee to the Royal Mint was considering making her a special coin to mark the 50th anniversary of Enid Blyton’s death. However, they decided against it as they felt she was not very well regarded.
In a meeting in December 2016 the coin was discussed. The meeting’s minutes were obtained under freedom of information laws by The Daily Mail who reported that committee said she “is known to have been a racist, sexist, homophobe and not a very well-regarded writer.”
A spokeswoman for the Royal Mint said, “The point of the advisory committee is to ensure that themes commemorated on UK coins are varied, inclusive and represent the most significant events in our history. For these reasons not every event will progress to a UK coin.”
Many mixed feelings have resulted from this for her books provide fond memories to many.
