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Birth
William Golding was born on September 19, 1911 in, in Saint Columb Minor, Cornwall, England. He was raised in a 14th-century house next door to a graveyard. -
Early school
His father, Alex, worked as a schoolmaster. William attended at a school his father ran, Marlborough Grammar School. -
College
William later attended at Brasenose College at Oxford University. In 1934, a year before he graduated, William published his first work, a book of poetry aptly entitled Poems. -
Teachinh
William decided to follow in his father’s footsteps. In 1935 Golding took a position teaching English and philosophy at Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury. -
Navy
Golding spent the better part of the next six years on a boat, except for a seven-month stint in New York. He assisted Lord Cherwell at the Naval Research Establishment. -
Back to writing
Of his World War II experiences, Golding has said, “I began to see what people were capable of doing. Anyone who moved through those years without understanding that man produces evil as a bee produces honey, must have been blind or wrong in the head. In 1945, after World War II had ended, Golding went back to teaching and writing. -
Lord of Flies
In 1954, after 21 rejections, Golding published his first and most acclaimed novel, Lord of the Flies. Since its publication, the novel has been widely regarded as a classic, worthy of in-depth analysis and discussion in classrooms around the world. -
Nobel prize
Golding was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize for Literature. In 1988 he was knighted by England’s Queen Elizabeth II. -
Family
Golding spent the last few years of his life living with his wife, Ann Brookfield, at their house near Falmouth, Cornwall. The couple had married in 1939 and had two children, David and Judith. -
Death
On June 19, 1993, Golding died of a heart attack in Perranarworthal, Cornwall. After Golding died, his completed manuscript for The Double Tongue was published posthumously.