Sir William Golding's letters to go on display

The exhibit will contain letters to the editor who helped the author make Lord Of The Flies a success

Notebooks, letters and manuscripts belonging to Lord of the Flies author Sir William Golding are to go on display in Devon.

The work belonging to Sir William Golding, who won the 1983 Nobel Prize for Literature, will be shown at the University of Exeter to mark 70 years since the novel was published.

The author died aged 81 at his home in Cornwall in 1993.

His daughter, Judy Carver, said the Golding family welcomed the opportunity for the materials to be viewed by a wider audience.

'Exciting opportunity'

A copy of the original manuscript will be on display but the original copy of the novel, which was written in a school exercise book, will not be on public view due to its fragility, the university said.

Ms Carver said: "The Golding family are grateful to the University of Exeter for their care of the manuscripts and typescripts on loan to the university.

"They appreciate the careful work that has brought the exhibition contents to public view."

The exhibit will also contain letters to the editor that helped the author make Lord Of The Flies a success.

Caroline Walter, interim head of heritage collections at the University of Exeter, said: "This is an exciting opportunity to unite archival material from two distinct collections in Exeter, allowing visitors to delve into the rich literary heritage of the South West and illuminating Golding's creative journey."

The materials will be shown in the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum, Old Library, at the university from 24 September to 15 December.