William Golding

  • Birth

    Birth

    William Golding was born on September 19, 1911 in Saint Columb Minor, Cornwall, England (biography.com). His mother supported the British suffragette movement and his father was a schoolteacher who taught Golding until college (cliffnotes.com).
  • College

    College

    Golding started going to Brasenose College at Oxford where he studied science. He later switched to literature because that was what he was truly interested in (cliffnotes.com).
  • Poetry

    Poetry

    Golding wrote his first piece of literature which was a book of poems called "Poems." This was not critically acclaimed (biography.com).
  • Graduation

    Graduation

    Golding graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Oxford. He also had a diploma in education (cliffnotes.com).
  • Career

    Career

    Golding was a writer, actor, and producer for four years in a small theater. He was influenced by Greek tragedians and Shakespeare (cliffnotes.com).
  • Teaching

    Teaching

    Golding started to teach philosophy at Bishop Wordsworth's School. He continued teaching until 1961 (cliffnotes.com).
  • Marriage

    Marriage

    Golding married Ann Brookfield who becomes the mother of his two children (cliffnotes.com).
  • War

    War

    Golding was in the navy for five years during World War II. This experience exposed him to the cruelty and barbarity of humans (cliffnotes.com)
  • Lord of the Flies

    Lord of the Flies

    "Lord of the Flies" was published, and it combined his perception of humanity with his school-life. It was rejected by 21 publishers before it was finally published.
  • Writing

    Writing

    Golding stopped teaching philosophy so that he could write full time (cliffnotes.com).
  • Movies

    Movies

    Lord of the Flies was adapted into a movie by the director, Peter Brook (biography.com).
  • Nobel Prize

    Nobel Prize

    Golding was given the 1983 Nobel Prize for his work in literature. He had been given many other awards, but this was the most important (cliffnotes.com).
  • Knighted

    Knighted

    Golding was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II of England.
  • Death

    Death

    Golding died of heart attack Perranarworthal, Cornwall (biography.com).