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Golding was born in a village called Saint Columb Minor, in the coastal city of Cornwall, England. His mother was a supporter of the suffragette movement. His father was an advocate of rationalism.
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At age 12, Golding attempted to write a novel, but was unsuccessful. From there, he found a way of releasing his frustration by bullying his peers.
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He began attending Brasenose College at Oxford in 1930 (cliff notes). He began studying science, but then changed to literature. He graduated in 1935 with a bachelor of arts in English and an English diploma (cliff notes).
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A year before Golding graduated, he published his first book of poetry. However, it was overlooked by many.
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He worked as a writer, actor, and producer, and also taught English and philosophy at a school in Salisbury. His teaching influenced the writing of Lord of the Flies
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He married Ann Brookfield in 1939, and they had two children.
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Golding fought in World War II from 1940 until the war ended in 1945. This time of fighting exposed him to the evil that humans can commit, which greatly influenced his book The Lord of the Flies. He went back to writing and teaching afterward.
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He published his most well known book, Lord of the Flies, in 1954. This novel embodied his perception of humans from teaching and the war. This was his first novel, and had been rejected 21 times.
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He retired from teaching to fully pursue writing in 1961.
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Golding won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983. This was his greatest honor and award he had received.
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Golding died in Cornwell, England from a heart attack. One of his books titled The Double Tongue, was published after he had already passed away.
