-
William Gerald Golding was born in Cornwall, England to Mildred and Alec Golding. His mother was a strong supporter of the British Suffragette movement and his dad was a school teacher and strong advocate of rationalism.
-
William Golding started reading the works of authors such as William Shakespeare, and developed a love for writing poetry. At this age, he dreamed of becoming a poet. -
Golding attended the Marlborough Grammar School for his secondary education -the school his father taught at- until college. His father had a very strong influence on his early life -
Golding began attending Brasenose College (in Oxford) in 1930. In college, he studied natural science for two years - under the hopes of his father- before moving into a literature program which was more favourable for him. -
William Golding graduated from Oxford with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Diploma in Education.
-
After college, William Golding worked as a writer, actor and producer in a small theatre company. However, his main source of income was through his job as a social worker in a settlement house
-
Golding eventually left his job to teach English and Philosophy at Bishop Wordsworth's School is Sailsbury. He also got married in this year, to Ann Brookfield after breaking off an engagement. -
With the start of WW2, Golding left his job and wife to join the Royal Navy. During his time in service, Golding was exposed to incredible cruelty and the worst of humankind. This time in the Navy heavily influenced his works later in life. -
After the end of WW2, Golding returned to his teaching position in Bishop Wordsworth's School. -
Golding's book Lord of the Flies was published in 1954 after being rejected by 21 publishers. It was his first ever novel to be published, despite having written previous poems and novels. It follows the story of a group of boys shipwrecked on an island. -
Golding left his job as a teacher in 1962 to pursue writing full time, and wrote a number of books and essays.
-
The Lord Of Flies won a Nobel Prize For Literature. -
William Gerald Golding died as Sir William Gerald Golding with 2 children, a loving wife and a successful author. He died of a heart attack in Cornwall.