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William Golding's Birth
William Gerald Golding was born on September 19, 1911, in Saint Columb Minor, Cornwall, England. He was born to his mother, Mildred, an active suffragette, and his father, Alec, a schoolmaster. He was the youngest of him and his brother, Joseph. -
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Early Life
At the age of twelve, around 1923 to 1924, William first attempted to write a novel, and as he was unsuccessful, he took to bullying his peers as a way to vent. Later on, he would attend Brasenose College at Oxford University. In 1934, Willaim published his first work, a book of poetry, entitled Poems. -
After College
After working many diverse jobs, he decided to follow in his father's footsteps. In 1935, he took a position teaching English and philosophy at Bishop Wordsworth's School in Salisbury. His experiences would later help serve him inspiration as he wrote his novel, Lord of the Flies. In 1940 he temporarily left his profession, and join World War II. -
Family
Married to Ann Brookfield, an analytical chemist, as of September 30, 1939. Later on, they would have two children, David born in September 1940, and Judith born in July 1945. -
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WWII and the Royal Navy
After he left his work, he joined the Royal Navy and found a love for sailing and the sea. Golding mentioned that during his time in the war, "I began to see what people were capable of doing. Anyone who moved through those years without understanding that man produces evil as a bee produces honey, must have been blind or wrong in the head.” Later in 1945, after WWII, William returned to his job at Bishop Wordsworth's School, to resume his teaching. -
'Lord of the Flies,' Published
After being rejected 21 times, William published his first and most noted novel, Lord of the Flies. Faber & Faber worked to help him publish the book that tells the story of a group of young boys who find themselves alone on a deserted island after their plane crashes. The book is written and based on William's experience with kids whom he's taught and the brutal truth of WWII. -
Retirement
In 1963, a full year after William retired from teaching, Peter Brook made a film adaptation of the novel. Golding lived his last years with his wife, Anne Brookfield, and his children. -
1983 Nobel Prize for Literature
At the age of 73, William Gerald Golding attended the Ceremony at the concert hall in Stockholm, Sweden, and was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize for literature. He was awarded for his parables of the human condition. The idea for this to be included in most of his novels was acquired after his time spent in World War II, where violence and terror had a huge impact on his outlook on human life. -
Knighted
In 1988, William Golding was knighted by England's former queen, Queen Elizabeth II. As a result of his contributions to literature. Being knighted changed his name from Mr. to Sir William Gerald Golding. -
New Generation
A new film of the Lord of the Flies was released in 1990, attracting a whole new generation of readers' attention. Harry Hook's color adaptation, gave the book an entirely new audience. -
William Golding's Death
On June 19, 1993, William died at age 81 in Perranarworthal, Cornwall, England. After writing twelve novels and a number of plays, poems, and essays, he is best known for his novel, Lord of the Flies. He was survived by his wife, the former Ann Brookfield, and their two children, David Golding and Judith Golding.