William Golding (1911- 1993)

By prachi.14

  • Early Life

    Early Life
    Born in Saint Columb Minor, Cornwall, England. His father, Alex, was a schoolmaster. (cliffnotes.com). Golding received his early education at his father's school. At 12, he tried, unsuccessfully to write a novel. He was a bully to his school mates and admits "I enjoyed hurting people". (biography.com)

  • Attended Brasenose College at Oxford University

    Attended Brasenose College at Oxford University
    William went on to attend Brasenose College at Oxford where his father hoped he would pursue a career as a scientist, but he chose to study English literature. In 1934, Golding published his first work Poems, which wasn't criticized much. (biography.com)

  • Career

    Career
    Golding worked in as a writer, producer, and actor in a small theater in London. He considered this is greatest literary influence, not novels, more so Greek tragedies. (cliff notes.com)

  • Teaching

    Teaching
    Taught English and Philosophy at Bishop Wordsworth's School in Sailsbury. His experience in teaching unruly boys later inspired Lord of The Flies. Loved teaching however, temporarily left in 1940 to join the Royal Army in World War II. (biography.com)

  • Royal Navy

    Royal Navy
    His World War II experiences, Golding 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.” These World War II experiences show up in Lord of the Flies. (biography.com)

  • Lord of Flies Published

    Lord of Flies Published
    After 21 rejections, Golding published Lord of the Flies. The novel has been widely discussed in classroom for it's prominent theme of man's internal conflict in good vs evil (biography.com).

  • Nobel Prize for Literature/ Films

    Nobel Prize for Literature/ Films
    In 1963, the year after Golding retired from teaching, Peter Brook made a film adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel. Two decades later, at the age of 73, Golding was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize for Literature.

  • Death

    Death
    Spent the last few years of his life with his wife. Had two children and still wrote. Died of a heart attack Perranarworthal, Cornwall, England. (biography.com)