September 2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the publication of William Golding's iconic novel The Lord of the Flies. It is remarkable to imagine today that this book might have remained on the rejection pile at Faber and Faber were it not for a young editor, Charles Monteith. Monteith rescued the story, originally titled Strangers from Within (one of many titles the manuscript would go through) and worked with Golding to produce a novel that has gained worldwide acclaim.
William Golding: Beyond the Island is a season of free exhibitions and events inspired by the Golding Literary Archive held in the University of Exeter Special Collections.
From early September display panels sharing quotes from Golding's journals, photographs and images from the archives will go up in venues across the city. On 24th September an exhibition of material from the Golding literary archive, and correspondence on loan from the Faber Archive, will go on display. Hosted in the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum on the University's Streatham Campus. Finally a series of free engagement events will be taking place in late September and October at partner venues in the city centre.
Find out more about Special Collections.
Find out more about the William Golding Archive held at Special Collections.
Credits
With thanks to the Golding family, William Golding Ltd, Faber & Faber, the Public Engagement in Research fund, and all our partner venues for their help and support in making this programme a reality.