Literature · Film · 1911–1993
Born: 19 September 1911 · Died: 19 June 1993 · Age at death: 81
William Golding died aged 81. He was born on 19 September 1911 and died on 19 June 1993.
English novelist whose Lord of the Flies, about schoolboys stranded on an island, became a classic; he won the Nobel Prize
Did you know?During the Second World War, he served in the Royal Navy and was involved in the pursuit of the German battleship Bismarck.
William Golding wrote one of the most famous novels of the 20th century. He was a schoolteacher in Salisbury who had served in the Royal Navy during the war, including on D-Day. Lord of the Flies imagines a group of schoolboys stranded on an island. Without adults, their attempt at order collapses into fear and savagery. The book was rejected by many publishers before Faber took it on. He won the Booker Prize for Rites of Passage. He received the Nobel Prize in 1983 and was knighted.
Sir William Gerald Golding (19 September 1911 – 19 June 1993) was a British novelist, playwright, and poet. Best known for his debut novel Lord of the Flies (1954), Golding published another 12 volumes of fiction in his lifetime.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Profile
English novelist, 1911–1993
William Golding was born in Newquay, Cornwall, on 19 September 1911.
He taught at Bishop Wordsworth's School.
Lord of the Flies appeared in 1954.
He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1983.
Career highlights
Did you know?Lord of the Flies was rejected by many publishers before Faber took it.
Questions people ask
AD 86–AD 161
b. 1948
1551–1589
1926–2020
b. 1985
b. 1965Missing someone? Suggest them
1958–2009
1828–1910
1451–1506
1254–1324A newspaper from their birth date
The front page from the day they were born, a classic keepsake.
Shop on AmazonVirgo zodiac gifts
Jewellery, prints and candles for the Virgo in your life.
Shop on EtsyStar map of September 19
A custom print of the night sky on their birthday.
Shop on EtsyMilestone birthday gifts
Ideas for 18th, 30th, 40th, 50th and beyond.
Shop on AmazonWe may earn a small commission from purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.
Last reviewed: October 2026