Author
William Golding
Birth Date
September 19, 1911
(81 Years)
Death Date
June 19, 1993
Associated Country
United Kingdom
William Golding (1911–1993) was an English novelist, playwright, and poet best known for his allegorical fiction exploring human nature and morality. He was born in Cornwall and studied English literature at the University of Oxford before working as a schoolteacher.
During World War II, Golding served in the Royal Navy, an experience that profoundly influenced his views on human behavior and violence. His debut novel, Lord of the Flies (1954), brought him international fame for its powerful depiction of the descent into savagery among stranded schoolboys. The novel remains one of the most widely studied works of modern literature.
Golding continued to write novels that examined philosophical and psychological themes, including The Inheritors, Pincher Martin, and The Spire. In 1983, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his ability to illuminate the human condition through allegorical storytelling. His work is known for its symbolic depth, moral seriousness, and exploration of civilization versus savagery.
During World War II, Golding served in the Royal Navy, an experience that profoundly influenced his views on human behavior and violence. His debut novel, Lord of the Flies (1954), brought him international fame for its powerful depiction of the descent into savagery among stranded schoolboys. The novel remains one of the most widely studied works of modern literature.
Golding continued to write novels that examined philosophical and psychological themes, including The Inheritors, Pincher Martin, and The Spire. In 1983, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for his ability to illuminate the human condition through allegorical storytelling. His work is known for its symbolic depth, moral seriousness, and exploration of civilization versus savagery.
Books
The Inheritors 2026
When spring comes, the people leave their winter cave, foraging for honey, grubs, and the hot richness of a deer’s brain. They awaken the fire to heat their naked bodies, lay down their thorn bushes,...
Pincher Martin 2026
Glistening limpets. Lobster claws. Wild tangles of seaweed. Slowly, his eyes open. Everywhere, there is sea. Only this jagged peak interrupts the vast expanse of the Atlantic: a tooth in a gaping jaw....
Free Fall 2026
Sammy Mountjoy is an artist who has risen from poverty to see his pictures hung in the Tate Gallery. Swept into World War II, he is captured as a German prisoner of war, threatened with torture and...
Close Quarters 2013
To the Ends of the Earth, Book 2
In a wilderness of heat, stillness and sea mists, a ball is held on a ship becalmed halfway to Australia. In this surreal, fête-like atmosphere the passengers dance and flirt, while beneath them...
The Spire 2002
The vision that drives Dean Jocelin to construct an immense new spire above his cathedral tests the limits of all who surround him. The foundationless stone pillars shriek and the earth beneath them...
Fire Down Below 1999
To the Ends of the Earth, Book 3
On the last stretch of its epic voyage from England to Australia, a disintegrating warship inches towards land. But there are still trials ahead, as the vessel is smashed against an ice cliff and...
Rites of Passage 1999
To the Ends of the Earth, Book 1
Sailing to Australia in the early years of the nineteenth century, Edmund Talbot keeps a journal to amuse his godfather back in England. Full of wit and disdain, he records the mounting tensions on...
Lord of the Flies 1999
After a plane crash leaves a group of boys stranded on a deserted island, they initially attempt to create a sense of order, organizing themselves with rules and responsibilities. Ralph emerges as a...
The Double Tongue 1999
Set in the ancient world of classical Greece, The Double Tongue follows Arieka, a young woman living in a society shaped by rigid tradition, religious ritual, and philosophical inquiry. Raised in a...
The Scorpion God 1984
Three short novels show Golding at his subtle, ironic, mysterious best. The Scorpion God depicts a challenge to primal authority as the god-ruler of an ancient civilization lingers near death. Clonk...