LONDON (TIP): An India-born author based in London, who grew up reading Enid Blyton stories, has penned her own set of adventures for the Famous Five characters created by the celebrated English children’s writer, more reflective of modern British life.

Hails from Surat

Sufiya Ahmed, originally from Surat, recently released the second in a four-book series commissioned by the publishers behind Blyton bestsellers and has been buoyed by the enduring popularity of the characters. Injecting some South Asian flavor into “Five and the Runaway Dog”, Ahmed feels her new adventures are an ode to the much-loved writings of the 20th century children’s author. “These new adventures of the Famous Five are more reflective of modern times,” said Ahmed. “There are more diverse characters in Kirrin village, which is the setting of the Famous Five books, and in the second story I’ve written, ‘Five and the Runaway Dog’, we have Simi – a girl of South Asian heritage – and her family who have moved into the village. Simi plays a major part in the story and is also featured on the front cover,” she said.

The first book, “Timmy and the Treasure”, was released in January and has been making waves in the UK, Spain and Portugal. The third book, “Message in a Bottle”, is now undergoing the finishing touches.