(1911-1993) English novelist. His work is often principally concerned with the fundamental corruption and evil inherent in human nature. His first book, Lord of the Flies 1954, concerns the degeneration into savagery of a group of English schoolboys marooned on a Pacific island. Pincher Martin 1956 is a study of greed and self-delusion. Later novels include The Spire 1964 and Darkness Visible 1979. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature 1983.
The Sea Trilogy, Rites of Passage 1980 (Booker Prize), Close Quarters 1987, and Fire Down Below 1989, tells the story of a voyage to Australia through the eyes of a callow young aristocrat.