In Fine Print

Enid Blyton's characters, including Noddy, have been brought back to life in a new book by her grand-daughter, Sophie Smallwood.

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OPINION: Blyton's comeback

THE MUCH-LOVED characters of Enid Blyton have been brought back to life in a new book by Blyton's grand-daughter, Sophie Smallwood, which features Noddy. Smallwood told the Guardian that she's "done her absolute best" to keep the characters as Enid created them, though she's added Stumpy the Elephant. The book is expected in UK shops for Christmas. Sunday Star-Times readers will recall another recent return of a classic – the first authorised sequel of Winnie the Pooh, called Return to the Hundred Acre Wood.

Taking potshots

THOSE WHO follow The Chaser crowd in Australia will love their 2009 Annual (Text Publishing, $35). Taking a leaf out of the, er, spin-off books of The Onion and Jon Stewart's The Daily Show, the satire boys scattershot – can one verb-ise that? – political and general targets everywhere in a monochrome scrapbook style. Under the headline "New Zealand moves 30cm closer to Australia, applies for dole", they repeat the reassuring old canard that Kiwis are dole-bludgers. They report John Key as saying: "We've spent a lot of time attempting to promote New Zealand's unique identity to the world. But we couldn't even develop our own flag. Now it's time for us to become what the world already thinks we are – Australians who can't pronounce their vowels properly." (Just jealous.) The plan is for NZ to be moored off Bondi Beach.

And the world turns

THE ONLY certainty in the book world is change. Raewyn Davies, publicist for the Headline division, is heading to Penguin after the required "gardening leave".

Matt Turner, publishing manager at New Holland Publishing NZ, recently left to go freelance. Random House NZ has purchased Dunedin-based Longacre Press, creator of The 10pm Question by Kate De Goldi among other quality titles. Also, we were sad to hear, Heather McKenzie, the always helpful and efficient publicity director of Victoria University Press, died after a sudden illness this month.