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Birth
William Golding was born in September 19, 1911 in Cornwall England. -
First unsuccessful novel
His first unsuccessful novel was when he was just a little boy at 12, he found his outlet by bullying his peers. He perceived himself as a brat in his novels. -
Brasenose College at Oxford University
His father wanted him to become a scientist but, he chose to study English literature instead. William published his first work, a book of poetry aptly entitled poems -
Father's footsteps
He followed his fathers footsteps and became an english and philosophy at Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury. -
War
Although passionate about teaching from day one, in 1940 Golding temporarily abandoned the profession to join the Royal Navy and fight in World War II. -
Six years on a boat
During World War II, he fought battleships at the sinking of the Bismarck, and also fended off submarines and planes. Lieutenant Golding was even placed in command of a rocket-launching craft. He now knew what people where capable of. -
Back to teaching
In 1945, after World War II had ended, Golding went back to teaching and writing. -
21 rejections
Golding published his first and most acclaimed novel, Lord of the Flies. The novel told the gripping story of a group of adolescent boys stranded on a deserted island after a plane wreck. -
noble price
at the age of 73, Golding was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize for Literature. -
Lord of the Flies
In 1990 a new film version of the Lord of the Flies was released, bringing the book to the attention of a new generation of readers.