Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hot Gates and Other Occasional Pieces | 1965 | William Golding | Buy |
| 2 | A Moving Target | 1982 | William Golding | Buy |
| 3 | An Egyptian Journal | 1985 | William Golding | Buy |
William Golding’s non-fiction reveals the thinking behind his fiction. The Hot Gates (1965) collects essays on literature and life, A Moving Target (1982) gathers lectures and occasional pieces, and An Egyptian Journal (1985) records his travels in Egypt.
The Hot Gates takes its title from the literal meaning of Thermopylae and includes some of Golding’s most direct statements about his own work and the craft of writing. A Moving Target, published the year before he won the Nobel Prize, covers a broader range of topics and shows Golding reflecting on literature, society, and memory.
An Egyptian Journal is the most personal of the three, a travel book about a trip down the Nile. Golding’s fascination with ancient civilizations comes through clearly, and the book reads differently from his novels. Together, these three volumes give readers access to Golding’s mind outside the framework of fiction.