Gettyimages 515175198

William Golding

By Madisond08

  • Birth

    Birth
    William Golding was born on September 19, 1911, in Saint Columb, Cornwall, England.

  • Began teaching

    Began teaching
    After graduating Oxford University, he followed his father's footsteps and took a teaching position at Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury, teaching English and Philosophy. This experience of teaching chaotic boys inspired "The Lord of the Flies"

  • Marriage

    Marriage
    Golding was engaged to Molly Evans, a woman from Marlborough, who was well liked by both of his parents. However, he broke off the engagement and married Ann Brookfield, an analytical chemist.

  • Joined royal navy

    Joined royal navy
    Golding temporarily abandoned teaching to join the Royal Navy. He fought in World War ll .

  • First child

    First child
    William Golding's first child, David was born.

  • Second child

    Second child
    William Golding's second child, Judith was born.

  • First novel

    After 21 rejections, Golding's first published novel was Lord of the Flies. A story of a group of schoolboys isolated on a coral island who revert to savagery.

  • Awarded Nobel prize for literature

    Awarded Nobel prize for literature
    At the age of 73, Golding was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize for Literature.

  • Film

    Film
    In 1990 a new film version of the Lord of the Flies was released, bringing the book to the attention of a new generation of readers.

  • Death

    Death
    William Golding died on June 19, 1993 from a heart attack in Cornwall, England. After Golding died, his completed manuscript for the Double Tongue was published. While Golding was mainly a novelist, his body of work also includes poetry, plays, essays and short stories.