Monday 19 September 2011

William Golding Centenary Round-Up

On this day 100 years ago, William Golding was born in Newquay, Cornwall. To celebrate his life and work, the Cornwall Campus at the University of Exeter hosted a three-day conference, which culminated in a visit to Golding's home at Perranarworthal.

There have been various publications to mark the centenary. Faber has reissued the novels with introductions (Stephen King on Lord of the Flies, John Carey on The Inheritors, etc.). This weekend, two of my old tutors, Craig Raine and Peter Conrad, have published essays on The Spire and Lord of the Flies respectively. And The Guardian is now running a competition to design a new cover for Flies. Starting tonight, and for the rest of the week, Radio 3 will be broadcasting essays on Golding's novels.

Saturday 13 August 2011

William Golding Centenary Conference Registration Deadline

The registration deadline for the William Golding Centenary Conference is fast approaching. If you would like to attend, you can find all the necessary information and paperwork here. I include the latest schedule of talks and events below. Highlights include plenary lectures by Judy Golding and John Carey, and a tour of the Golding family home.

The William Golding Centenary Conference
Centre For South West Writing
University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus
16-18 September, 2011

Friday 16 September, 2011

2-3pm Registration and Coffee (Refectory)


3-3.30pm Welcome Address (Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)


3.30-4.30pm Plenary Address (1): Judy Golding (Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)

4.30-6pm Presentations (1): Lord of the Flies (Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
Nick Groom (University of Exeter): ‘Rings and Flies: Lords of ’54’
Yasunori Sugimura (Otaru University of Commerce): ‘Environmental Destruction and Self-Destruction in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies


6-8pm Wine Reception (Boardroom Foyer, Tremough House)


8pm Dinner (Refectory)

Saturday 17 September, 2011

9-10.30am Presentations (2): Biography and Reputation (Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
John Cox: ‘William Golding at Bishop Wordsworth School’
Nicola Presley (University of Exeter)): ‘The Enduring Influence of William Golding in Popular Culture’
Sandra Josipović (University of Belgrade): ‘The Reception of William Golding’s Work in Serbian Literary Criticism’


10.30-11am Tea and Biscuits (Boardroom Foyer, Tremough House)


11-12.30pm Presentations (3): Early Fiction (Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
Charlotte Sleigh (University of Kent): ‘“There is another smell of a nobody”: William Golding and the man who wasn’t there’
Terrell Carver (University of Bristol): ‘Hobbes vs Locke in Lord of the Flies, or Where Did
Ralph Go Wrong?’
Miles Leeson (University of Portsmouth): ‘Fall Out: The impact of Hitler on the early fiction of William Golding and Iris Murdoch’


12.30-2pm Buffet Lunch (Boardroom Foyer, Tremough House)


2-3.30pm Presentations (4): Pincher Martin and The Spire (Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
Mark Rawlinson (University of Leicester): ‘Pincher Martin and Narratives of the Second World War at Sea’
Virginia Tiger (Rutgers University): ‘Back to the Beginning, On to the End: A Rhetorical Analysis of Pincher Martin and Fire Down Below
Kazunari Miyahara (Yamaguchi University): ‘Pride and Prejudice of Readers in and of The Spire


3.30-4pm Tea and Biscuits (Boardroom Foyer, Tremough House)

4-5.30pm Presentations (5): Darkness Visible and Visionary Experience (Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
Nadia D’Amelio (University of Mons): ‘Holy Geometry in Golding’s Darkness Visible’
Roger Kojecký (The Christian Literary Studies Group): ‘Spiritual Realism: Epiphany in Golding’s novels’


7pm Gala Dinner (Refectory)

Sunday 18 September, 2011

9-10.30am Presentations (6): The Paper Men and the Art of the Novel (Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
Miroslawa Buchholtz (Nicolas Copernicus University): ‘Auto/Biographical Trans/Actions in The Paper Men
Stephen Roberts: ‘The Papyrus Men — Golding’s modified and condensed “Egyptian Book of the Dead”’
Nicole Terrien (University of Rennes): ‘Golding and the art of the novel: mapping a territory of limited understanding’

10.30-11am Tea and Biscuits (Boardroom Foyer, Tremough House)


11-12.15pm Plenary Address (2): John Carey (Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)


12.30-4pm Excursion to William Golding’s home, Tullimaar (including packed lunch)


4pm End of Conference


Tuesday 17 May 2011

William Golding Digital Animation Competition

The William Golding Digital Animation Competition is accepting entries. The closing date is 31 July 2011. Do take notice of the small print: the piece should be between 4 and 8 minutes long, and it should be based on a scene or character from any Golding novel except Lord of the Flies.

The winner will be announced at the William Golding Centenary Conference in September. First prize is £1000, with £750 for the runner up.

Tuesday 10 May 2011

William Golding Centenary Conference

The William Golding Centenary Conference will take place at the Cornwall Campus of the University of Exeter on 16-18 September. The registration form is here, and to pay by credit or debit card, go to this link.

The Golding family has kindly sponsored six postgraduate places. All fees and accommodation will be covered. If you are interested in applying, please email me.

Here is the provisional programme.

Friday 16 September, 2011

2-3pm Registration and Coffee (Refectory).
3-3.30pm Welcome Address (Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
3.30-4.30pm Plenary Address (1): Judy Carver (Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
4.30-6pm Presentations (1): Lord of the Flies
(Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
Nick Groom (University of Exeter): ‘Rings and Flies: Lords of ’54’
Aba-Carina Parlog (West University of Timisoara): ‘The Chthonian and the
Transcendental as Poles of Insular Conflict’
Yasunori Sugimura (Otaru University of Commerce): ‘Environmental Destruction
and Self-Destruction in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies
6-8pm Wine Reception (Boardroom Foyer, Tremough House)
8pm Dinner (Refectory)

Saturday 17 September, 2011

9-10.30am Presentations (2): Biography and Reputation
(Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
John Cox: ‘William Golding at Bishop Wordsworth School’
Nick Turner (Manchester Metropolitan University): ‘William Golding: Literary
Reputation and the Canon’
Sandra Josipović (University of Belgrade): ‘The Reception of William Golding’s
Work in Serbian Literary Criticism’
10.30-11am Tea and Biscuits (Boardroom Foyer, Tremough House)
11-12.30pm Presentations (3): Early Fiction
(Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
Charlotte Sleigh (University of Kent): ‘“There is another smell of a nobody”:
William Golding and the man who wasn’t there’
Robert Vuckovich: ‘Castaway Piggy’
Miles Leeson (University of Portsmouth): ‘Fall Out: The impact of Hitler on the early
Fiction of William Golding and Iris Murdoch’
12.30-2pm Buffet Lunch (Boardroom Foyer, Tremough House)
2-3.30pm Presentations (4): Pincher Martin and The Spire (Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
Mark Rawlinson (University of Leicester): ‘Pincher Martin and Narratives of the Second
World War at Sea’
Virginia Tiger (Rutgers University): ‘Back to the Beginning, On to the End: A Rhetorical
Analysis of Pincher Martin and Fire Down Below
Kazunari Miyahara (Yamaguchi University): ‘Pride and Prejudice of Readers in and of
The Spire
3.30-4pm Tea and Biscuits (Boardroom Foyer, Tremough House)
4-5.30pm Presentations (5): Darkness Visible and Visionary Experience
(Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
Cumhur Yilmaz Madran (Pamukkale University): ‘A Postmodern Madness in Golding’s
Darkness Visible
Nadia D’Amelio (University of Mons): ‘Holy Geometry in Golding’s Darkness Visible
Roger Kojecký (The Christian Literary Studies Group): ‘Spiritual Realism: Epiphany in
Golding’s novels’
7pm Gala Dinner (Refectory)

Sunday 18 September, 2011

9-10.30am Presentations (6): The Paper Men and the Art of the Novel
(Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
Miroslawa Buchholtz (Nicolas Copernicus University): ‘Auto/Biographical
Trans/Actions in The Paper Men
Stephen Roberts: ‘The Papyrus Men — Golding’s modified and condensed “Egyptian
Book of the Dead”’
Nicole Terrien (University of Rennes): ‘Golding and the art of the novel: mapping a
territory of limited understanding’
10.30-11am Tea and Biscuits (Boardroom Foyer, Tremough House)
11-12.15pm Plenary Address (2): John Carey
(Chapel Lecture Theatre, Tremough House)
12.30-4pm Excursion to William Golding’s home, Tullimaar (including packed lunch)
4pm End of Conference

Saturday 12 February 2011

William Golding Centenary Conference

Plans for the William Golding Centenary Conference at the University of Exeter Cornwall Campus, in Tremough on 16-18 September 2011, are well underway. We have our plenary speakers: Judy Carver and John Carey. We have also accepted a number of proposals for shorter papers, as listed below. The registration details will be published soon. I have created a Facebook group here for regular conference updates. If you would like to join and can't work out how, please email me and I will arrange it.

The call for papers has a deadline of 31 March 2011.

The conference will include an exhibition of unpublished papers and a visit to William Golding's home at Tullimaar on Sunday 18 September. We are extremely grateful to his family, who have been supportive throughout.

Speakers will include:

Nadia D'Amelio (University of Mons)
Roger Kojecky (The Christian Literary Studies Group)
Nick Groom (University of Exeter)
Mark Rawlinson (University of Leicester)
Charlotte Sleigh (University of Kent)
Sola Ogunbayo (Redeemer's University, Nigeria)
Miroslawa Buchholtz (Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland)
Robert Vuckovitch
John Cox

Monday 20 September 2010

Judy Carver's Memoir

There was a good article in yesterday's Observer about Judy Carver's forthcoming memoir of her father, The Children of Lovers. The book will be published in May, but in the meantime Judy offers some glimpses of her childhood experiences:

Recalling a walk with her father as a child, when she was chattering away to him, Carver says he told her not to talk because he was trying to think. "It turned out he was thinking about Pincher Martin, a brilliant novel which is very complicated. I can see the point now, but at the time I was hurt. His capacity for concentration was absolutely extraordinary."

The Observer article appeared on what would have been William Golding's 99th birthday, so by one measure the centenary year has now begun. The article mentions a number of events planned for next year. As well as the publication of Judy's memoir, the correspondence between Golding and Charles Monteith will be opened; Faber will produce a centenary edition of the novels; and in September the centenary conference (at which Judy will be speaking) will be held at the Cornwall campus of the University of Exeter, a few miles from Golding's home at Perranarworthal.

Sunday 29 August 2010

Golding and the Age of Anxiety

Here (for British viewers at least) is another product of the BBC's ongoing digitisation of its archive. The Golding section begins at 6:30, and uses materials from the Monitor interview, but it contains some intriguing bits and pieces, such as footage of A S Byatt singing the praises of Lord of the Flies.

Thursday 19 August 2010

BBC Monitor Interview, 1959

As it digitises its vast archive, the BBC has been making available a number of interviews with modern British novelists. One such features William Golding in 1959, very soon after the publication of Free Fall. It can be viewed here.

Thursday 3 June 2010

Facebook revisited

The official William Golding fanpage on Facebook has migrated to here.

Golding Panel at NeMLA, April 2011

Details here of a proposed panel on William Golding at the next NeMLA convention in New Brunswick, 7-10 April 2011.

Sunday 16 May 2010

William Golding on Facebook

A new site has been set up on Facebook by William Golding Ltd. The site already carries a few posts relating to Golding and his work. Sign up here.