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Birth
William Golding was born on 9/19, 1911. He was born in Newquay, United Kingdom, to his parts Alec and Mildred Golding. -
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Birth/death
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First draft
When William was just 12 years old, he attempted, unsuccessfully, to write a novel. A frustrated child, he found an outlet in bullying his peers. -
Education
He was educated at Marlborough Grammar School, where his father taught, and at Brasenose College, Oxford, where he read Natural Sciences for two years before transferring to English for his final two years. Before graduating. -
Job
William Golding started teaching English and philosophy in Salisbury. He temporarily left teaching in 1940 to join the Royal Navy. -
Navy
During World War II, Golding joined the Royal Navy. He served as a destroyer briefly involved in the pursuit and sinking of the German battleship Bismarck. Golding participated in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day, commanding a landing craft that fired salvoes of rockets onto the beaches. -
Book
Golding's experiences working with unruly boys as a teacher and his time as a combatant in WWII inspired Lord of the Flies. He saw much combat in the war and this novel is a reflection on Golding's view of society. He believed evil was not an external force, but something born within people. -
Awards
After publishing Lord of the Lives, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.