-
William Golding was born in Saint Columb Minor, Cornwall, England to parents Mildred and Alex Golding. His mother worked to get women a right to vote. His father was a schoolmaster.
-
Golding began attending Brasenose College at Oxford in 1930 and spent two years studying science then 3 years studying literature
-
In 1935, he graduated from Oxford with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a diploma in education.
-
From 1935 to 1939, Golding worked as a writer, actor, and producer with a small theater in an unfashionable part of London, paying his bills with a job as a social worker. He considered the theater his strongest literary influence, citing Greek tragedians and Shakespeare, rather than other novelists, as his primary influences.
-
In 1939, Golding began teaching English and philosophy in Salisbury at Bishop Wordsworth's School. That same year, he married Ann Brookfield, with whom he had two children.
-
After five years of teaching, Golding joined the Royal Navy to fight in World War II. He spent six years fighting in this war and rose to the rank of Lieutenant in those years.
-
-
After 21 rejections, Golding got his first and most criticallly acclaimed book, "Lord of the Flies" published.
-
In 1961, he left Bishop Wordsworth's School to write full time.
-
The first film adaptation of Golding's book, "Lord of the Flies" is made by film producer, Peter Brook.
-
In 1983, at the age of 73, Golding won the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature.
-
William Golding died in Perranarworthal, Cornwall, England. His cause of death was congestive heart failure at the age of 81.