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William's Birth
William Golding was born on September 19, 1911, in Saint Columb, Minor Cornwall, England. He lived in a 14th-century house next door to a graveyard. -
First Attempt to Write
When William was 12 years old in Malborough Grammer School, he attempted to write a novel. It was unsuccessful. He became frustrated. -
Attending College
William went to Brasenose College at Oxford University. He took two years to study science, then switched to take English literature program in his third year. It was his true interests. -
First Work
A year before he graduates, William published his first work. It was a book of poetry entitled "Poems". It was overlooked by analysts. -
Graduation
He graduated from Oxford. He followed his father's footsteps and decided to teach English and Philosophy at Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury. He had a Bachelors of Arts in English and a diploma in education. -
Marriage
Wiliam married Ann Brookfield. Later, they had two children named David and Judith. David was born in 1940 while Judith was born in 1945. -
New Career
Golding temporarily left the teaching profession and joined the Royal Navy. He eventually fought in World War 2. William spent five years in the Royal Navy and was a Lieutenant who was placed in command of a rocket launching craft. -
Back to School
William Golding went back to teaching and writing after the Royal Navy. He stayed a teacher until 1962 when he retired to write full time. -
Lord of The Flies
He published his first novel after 21 rejections. It is about boys who are trapped on an island and unlock the savage side of themselves where they turned against each other. He used his experience of teaching unruly boys and the cruelty of what humanity is capable of during the war. -
The Inheritors
This was William Golding's favorite work throughout his life. It was difficult for readers to understand. It takes place in the past concerning the Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals. -
Pincher Martin
He wrote another novel about survival after a shipwreck. Navy Lieutenant Christopher Martin was thrown overboard during combat in World War 2. The story is about how he struggled to survive and involved details from Golding's life. -
From Book To Movie
Peter Brook turned his novel into a movie. It was a year after Golding retired from teaching. -
Rites of Passage
This novel won a prestigious British award, the Booker Prize. It's a trilogy about an aristocratic young man and his voyage to Australia in 1812. -
Award Winning Novel
Lord of the flies won the 1983 Nobel Prize for Literature. William Golding was 73 years old at that time. It was about two decades after he wrote the book. -
Sir William Golding
He was knighted by England's Queen Elizebeth the Second. -
Death
William Golding died of a heart attack in Perranarworthal, Cornwall. After he died, his completed manuscript for The Double Tongue was published.
