🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About William Golding
Born on 19th September, 1911 in Saint Columb Minor, England, William Golding was raised in a small house near a graveyard in the 14th century. His father Alex Golding worked as a Schoolmaster and his mother, Mildred Golding, was an active member of suffragette; a movement that was involved in fighting for the rights of women especially the rights to vote. As a child, William attended school at Marlborough Grammar School, which was ran by his father. At 12 years, he unsuccessfully attempted to write a novel. Frustrated, he found solace in bullying his peers. Later in his life, he referred to himself as being a brat when he was a child though he also stated to have loved hurting people then. After primary school, William joined Brasenose College at Oxford University to study science.
All Book Series by William Golding
Pincher Martin / The Two Deaths of Christopher Martin
Book 3 of 9 · published 1956
The Hot Gates and Other Occasional Pieces
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 1965
The Penguin Book of Modern British Short Stories
Series opener · book 1 of 2 · published 1987
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is William Golding?
Born on 19th September, 1911 in Saint Columb Minor, England, William Golding was raised in a small house near a graveyard in the 14th century. His father Alex Golding worked as a Schoolmaster and his mother, Mildred Golding, was an active member of suffragette; a movement that was involved in fighting for the rights of women especially the rights to vote. As a child, William attended school at Marlborough Grammar School, which was ran by his father.
Which William Golding series should I start with?
The best place to start is the To the Ends of the Earth series, the earliest of William Golding's multi-book series: it opens with Rites of Passage (1980) and runs to 3 books across 1980–1989, ending with Fire Down Below (1989).
How many books has William Golding written?
William Golding has 20 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1954 and 1995. 3 of them belong to 1 named series — the largest being the To the Ends of the Earth series with 3 books — and 17 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should William Golding's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. William Golding's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are To the Ends of the Earth (1980–1989, 3 books).
How are William Golding's books organised into series?
This guide splits William Golding's 20 books into 1 named series and 17 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: To the Ends of the Earth (3 books, 1980–1989).