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Birth
William Golding was born on September 19th, 1911 in Saint Columb Minor, Cornwall, England. His mother was an active suffragette. His father was a schoolmaster. -
Early Education
William attended his father's school, Marlborough Grammar School, for his early years of education. At age 12 he unsuccessfully tried to write a novel. During primary school, William was a self-confessed bully. He admitted that he "enjoyed hurting people." -
College
William attended Brasenose College at Oxford University. At first, he tried to follow in his father's footsteps by pursuing a science degree. Eventually, however, William decided to study literature. He published his first work, a book of poems, a year before he graduated. -
Lord of the Flies
William published his first and most acclaimed novel in 1954. Lord of the Flies came to be considered a classic, and two film adaptations have been made. The novel explores humanity's fight between good and evil. -
Nobel Prize
William Golding was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1983. This is considered his greatest honor, though he received many. He was knighted in 1988 and designated honorary Commander of the British Empire in 1965.
