William Golding

By saulter
  • Williams Birth

    William Golding was born on September 19, 1911, in Saint Columb Minor, Cornwall, England. He was raised in a 14th-century house next door to a graveyard.
  • Publishes his first work

    William published his first work, a book of poetry aptly entitled Poems. The collection was largely overlooked by critics.
  • Becomes a teacher

    Golding took a position teaching English and philosophy at Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury. Teaching the boys inspired him to write his novel Lord of the Flies.
  • Stops teaching

    Golding temporarily abandoned the profession to join the Royal Navy and fight in World War II. Golding spent the better part of the next six years on a boat.
  • He returns teaching

    After World War II had ended, Golding went back to teaching and writing. Golding’s participation in the war would prove to be fruitful material for his fiction.
  • Published Lord of the Flies

    After 21 rejections, he finally publishes his most famous novel, Lord of the Flies. The novel told the story of a group of young boys stranded on a deserted island after a plane wreck.
  • A film was made about his book and he retired

    William retired from teaching. This same year Peter Brook made a film adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel.
  • Receives Nobel Piece Prize

    He was awarded the Nobel Piece Prize for Literature. Shortly after he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth ll in 1988
  • New Lord of the Flies film arrives

    A new film version of the Lord of the Flies was released. It brought the book to the attention of a new generation of readers.
  • Williams death

    William dies of a heart attack in Perranarworthal, Cornwall. After his death, his completed manuscript for The Double Tongue was published posthumously.