William Golding

By Atchison

  • Birth

    Birth
    William Golding was born on September 19, 1911. William was born in Saint Columb Minor, Cornwall, England. His parents were Mildred (an active suffragette) and Alex (a schoolmaster).

  • First Work Published

    First Work Published
    In 1934, a year before he graduated from college, William published his first work. It was a book of poetry aptly entitled "Poems." The collection was largely overlooked by critics.

  • Teaching Career

    Teaching Career
    In 1935, William Golding took a position teaching English and philosophy. Golding worked at Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury. The unruly young boys that he taught would be an inspiration for his novel, "Lord of the Flies."

  • Marriage

    Marriage
    William Golding and Ann Brookfield married in 1939 and had two children. Their names were David (b. 1940) and Judith (b. 1945).

  • Royal Navy

    Royal Navy
    In 1940, William Golding spent the better part of the next six years on a boat. While in the Royal Navy, Golding developed a lifelong romance with sailing and the sea. During World War II, he fought battleships at the sinking of the Bismarck, and also fended off submarines and planes.

  • End of the War

    End of the War
    In 1945, after World War II had ended, Golding went back to teaching and writing. William Golding remained in the teaching position until 1961. He left this position to write full time.

  • First Novel

    First Novel
    In 1954, after 21 rejections, William published his first and most acclaimed novel, "Lord of the Flies." The novel told the story of a group of adolescent boys stranded on a deserted island after a plane wreck. "Lord of the Flies" explored the savage side of human nature.

  • Film Adaptation of Golding's Novel

    Film Adaptation of Golding's Novel
    In 1963, the year after Golding retired from teaching, Peter Brook made a film adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel. Peter Brook is an English theatre and film director.

  • Nobel Prize for Literature

    Nobel Prize for Literature
    Two decades later, Golding was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize for Literature. William Golding was 73 when he was awarded the Nobel Prize.

  • Death

    Death
    On June 19, 1993, Golding died of a heart attack in Perranarworthal, Cornwall. After Golding died, his completed manuscript for "The Double Tongue" was published posthumously.