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Golding's Birth
William Golding was born in Newquay, United Kingdom on the 19th of September in 1911. -
Childhood
William was raised in Marlborough, England. He had a brother Joseph, a father Alex who was the schoolmaster at a grammar school, and a mother Mildred. William and Joseph both went to their father's school. William's house was next to a graveyard, making him fearful of the bodies. In 1919, at the age of 8, he received a prize of a book with an inscription: ‘Billy Golding 1919 Prize for General Improvement’. This was due to his constant prior fights with other children at school. -
The Next Chapter - The First Book
Golding was a bright student. He was jealous of the boys that got to go to the college in his area, but he was also aware of the distinct difference in social class. Later, his parents paid for him to attend Oxford. In 1934, at the age of 23, Golding published his first book, one about poems, but it gained little attention. Later he moved to London and tried acting, but that also didn't work out. His first teaching job was in 1935, and later worked out in 1938. -
Happy Days
Later on while teaching, William met Ann, his bride-to-be. He was originally engaged to a woman named Mollie, but ended up dumping her due to his love for Ann. He felt bad about his treatment of Mollie, and she ended up inspiring characters of his books later on. Golding then lost his job at school due to behaviors, married Ann and had a son David in 1940, and proceeded to live happily for a bit. -
The Navy
Shortly after Golding's son David was born, WWII started and he enlisted into the Navy. He was briefly involved in the pursuit and sinking of the German battleship Bismarck, he took part of landing in Normandy on D-Day, and eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant. In 1945 William's daughter Judith was born. -
Lord of the Flies
In 1954 Golding published his first and ever famous novel, Lord of the Flies. William's time as a teacher and experiences in war inspired Lord of the Flies, as the book is about a group of unruly schoolboys landing on a deserted island left to survive on their own with their own government and rule. -
After the War
After the war, Golding returned to teaching at Bishop Wordsworth's until 1961. After that he spent an academic year in the United States as a writer in residence at Hollins College (now Hollins University), near Roanoke, Virginia. -
Prizes and Awards
Due to his literature written over the years, Golding received many awards including the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature in 1983, the coveted Booker Prize in 1980, and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1979. -
The Last Few Years
As the days went on, Golding ended up living out the rest of his life in Wiltshire with his wife Ann. -
1993
William Golding died on the 19th of June, 1993, due to a heart attack. Even in his final days, William Golding continued to write. The manuscript of the books he was working on, The Double Tongue, was published after his death, along with many journals that contained all of his thoughts and ideas. Golding made a significant impact on the world, and is still recognized even today. William Golding was an incredible person.