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Writers & Authors Trivia

Writers & Authors Trivia Quizzes

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Fun Trivia
Which author won four Pulitzer Prizes? Which author accidentally shot his wife?

Want to learn more about the lives of the beat poets? Or do you want to show off your knowledge of the Welsh literary world? Then this is the place to do it.

147 quizzes and 2,058 trivia questions.
Sub-Categories:
1.
  The Fellowship   best quiz  
Classification Quiz
 18 Qns
Match the writers to their peer groups.
Each of these talented authors, writers, and wits, found fellowship and inspiration amongst their peers, some even met regularly to encourage and critique each other's work. Sort these well known writers into their famous groupings.
Easier, 18 Qns, Chavs, Nov 16 23
Easier
Chavs gold member
Nov 16 23
224 plays
2.
  Hard Habit to Break   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A lot of famous authors had some unusual habits. Here are ten of them compiled in this quiz!
Very Easy, 10 Qns, VBookWorm, Nov 19 23
Very Easy
VBookWorm
Nov 19 23
395 plays
3.
  Authors from A to Z   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
From the clues I give, can you name these notable authors? The answers will be their names in alphabetical order beginning with "A" and ending with "O" (not actually A to Z).
Easier, 15 Qns, shechamellion, Oct 04 19
Easier
shechamellion
Oct 04 19
9984 plays
4.
  Drink up me Hearties   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz concerns ten famous writers who were influenced somewhat by alcohol before, during or after their writing careers.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, christopherm, Aug 15 13
Very Easy
christopherm gold member
3121 plays
5.
  The Face Behind the Pen   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
You know the name, the clues are just a bit more personal than usual! Who is the famous author--all multiple-choice so take a guess.
Average, 10 Qns, fringe, Jun 15 04
Average
fringe gold member
8599 plays
6.
  Author! Author!   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
You likely know all of these authors, and intimately know their works of prose. But what do you know of their backgrounds? Can you determine which authors I'm describing?
Easier, 10 Qns, reedy, Jan 22 22
Easier
reedy gold member
Jan 22 22
614 plays
7.
  I'm in Love   top quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
This quiz delves into the love lives of famous poets. Match each poet with the corresponding "I'm in love" clue.
Easier, 10 Qns, skylarb, Dec 28 19
Easier
skylarb
Dec 28 19
610 plays
8.
  Literary Biographies   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
Twenty questions about twenty world famous writers. Each question provides only a single, but significant, event in their life. Can you identify them?
Tough, 20 Qns, Arlesienne, Dec 14 11
Tough
Arlesienne
3913 plays
9.
  Useless Trivia About Writers    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Here are some (hopefully interesting but ultimately useless) tidbits about some 20th century poets, novelists, and playwrights.
Average, 10 Qns, NickMc, Jan 25 23
Average
NickMc
Jan 25 23
347 plays
10.
  What Is My Middle Name?    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Remembering the middle name of a famous author is just a way to review what we know about this person.
Easier, 10 Qns, masfon, May 03 20
Easier
masfon gold member
May 03 20
914 plays
trivia question Quick Question
Oscar Wilde served time in prison. Why?

From Quiz "Writers and Prisons"




11.
  Literary Suicides   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many brilliant writers have chosen to end their own lives. I will provide the method of choice, and details of their work; can you name the author? (Extra clues will be provided for less well known writers).
Average, 10 Qns, alexicon, Jan 07 07
Average
alexicon
6312 plays
12.
  I'm A Word Wizard   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz on a collection of word wizards, also known as writers. Enjoy!
Average, 10 Qns, zebra101, Feb 22 13
Average
zebra101
1594 plays
13.
  I'm in Love (Part II)   great trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Ten more poets, ten more love stories. Match these poets with the corresponding description of their love lives.
Easier, 10 Qns, skylarb, Jan 11 20
Easier
skylarb
Jan 11 20
338 plays
14.
  Women Authors   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
March is Women's History Month, and this quiz celebrates the great contributions women have made to literature, both early and modern.
Tough, 15 Qns, bullymom, Jul 04 15
Tough
bullymom
4057 plays
15.
  Female Firsts in Literature   popular trivia quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Women have achieved some wonderful things in the world of literature. Can you match these ten accomplishments to the correct female author?
Easier, 10 Qns, helen295, Sep 29 19
Easier
helen295 gold member
Sep 29 19
461 plays
16.
  Writer's Block   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Every writer gets stuck. Ten authors in this quiz, however, have surefire ways to break free of writer's block. See if you can identify them from their methods. Good luck!
Average, 10 Qns, kyleisalive, Apr 03 18
Average
kyleisalive editor
Apr 03 18
476 plays
17.
  Match The Right Writer To The Right Written Tome    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Books open our minds and expand our imaginations. This quiz takes a look at the brilliant minds who created those literary gifts which inspire us to think big and never stop dreaming.
Easier, 10 Qns, sharonfaye, Feb 07 23
Easier
sharonfaye
Feb 07 23
846 plays
18.
  Authors' FAQs on Writing   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz concerns writer's opinions about their craft. Each question will involve facts about the author, the author's name and a quotation (FAQ). Two of the three will be provided, and you must choose the third.
Average, 10 Qns, uglybird, Aug 13 13
Average
uglybird
2270 plays
19.
  Oddities of the Literary World   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Reading about the lives of the most famous authors of history could very well be more interesting than reading the works they produced! Here are some examples of my findings...
Tough, 10 Qns, thejazzkickazz, Oct 08 23
Tough
thejazzkickazz gold member
Oct 08 23
3852 plays
20.
  Match Writers with only Initials to their Name    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Can you identify these well known writers who only used initials for their christian names.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, zambesi, Apr 23 19
Very Easy
zambesi
Apr 23 19
738 plays
21.
  Those Scribbling Jailbirds   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
All of us were American or British writers who spent time in jail--writing before, during, or after our imprisonment. Can you guess who we are?
Average, 10 Qns, alaspooryoric, Jul 14 11
Average
alaspooryoric gold member
918 plays
22.
  Author Anagrams   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Fifteen British and American authors introduce themselves with anagrams of their names (in capitals) and a few more clues (usually references to their works). Many anagrams were generated by Anagram Genius software. Fill in the blanks with the names.
Difficult, 15 Qns, TabbyTom, Aug 17 05
Difficult
TabbyTom gold member
2171 plays
23.
  Kick The Bucket    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is about authors and poets who have "kicked the bucket" or "are no longer with us, on this earth." I hope you enjoy these questions on the deaths and careers of ten famous writers.
Average, 10 Qns, Tony_TV_King, May 24 14
Average
Tony_TV_King
1120 plays
24.
  Choo Choose Thomas! Part 2   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
There is no doubt that the railroad system in the UK has greatly influenced its history. Living near the main line of a railroad also inspired a man to create a world where steam engines had personalities and met the same challenges as human beings.
Average, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Jan 13 24
Average
ponycargirl editor
Jan 13 24
371 plays
25.
  The Family Ties that Bind Us   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The families that write together share the limelight together, or something like that. See what you know about famous writers who were kin to other famous writers.
Average, 10 Qns, alaspooryoric, Aug 08 13
Average
alaspooryoric gold member
830 plays
26.
  Writers of the Ancient World   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
All these writers have had great impact on modern society in the different field they chose.
Easier, 10 Qns, Babilonia, Sep 03 17
Easier
Babilonia gold member
Sep 03 17
523 plays
27.
  Authorial Family Ties   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The following names are all of well-known writers and some of their family members. See if you can match the first names with the correct surname. All writers have had large sales and amassed great popularity, so none is obscure. Most are British.
Average, 10 Qns, sallyo, Aug 30 13
Average
sallyo
2036 plays
28.
  Shelley & Mary & Byron & Claire   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
If poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and his wife Mary were alive today, their bios would sound like a "True Hollywood Story" episode on E! And so does this quiz about them and their inner circle. How much dirt can you dish?
Difficult, 10 Qns, gretas, Apr 03 07
Difficult
gretas
831 plays
29.
  Authors - Bits and Pieces   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz discusses ten famous authors and some little known facts about them, some comical, some less so. Good luck!
Tough, 10 Qns, Creedy, Mar 14 16
Tough
Creedy gold member
798 plays
30.
  Ten Romantics   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is my second quiz on the Romantics. This time, you'll get two clues for each person: a biographical fact, and a quote from a work.
Tough, 10 Qns, skylarb, Jun 20 17
Tough
skylarb
Jun 20 17
2454 plays
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Related Topics
  Authors and their Works [Literature] (147 quizzes)

  Authors and Their Works [For Children] (25 quizzes)


Writers & Authors Trivia Questions

1. This author, almost exclusively known for his works "The Three Musketeers" and "The Count of Monte Cristo", used a colour coded system for writing. Who was he?

From Quiz
Hard Habit to Break

Answer: Alexandre Dumas

Alexandre Dumas was very particular about what colour paper he used for different types of writing: blue paper for fiction, yellow paper for poetry, and pink paper for articles. Once, while traveling, he ran out of blue paper and resorted to white paper instead. He later said that it made that work suffer. Alexandre Dumas was born on July 24, 1802, in France. He wrote his first play, "Henry lll and His Court" in 1829. His second play, "Christine", came out the next year. Both were so successful, Dumas took up a full time writing career and, in 1836, his first novel, "The Countess of Salisbury" was published. In 1844, he went on to write "The Three Musketeers", and "The Count of Monte Cristo" followed two years later. She married Ida Ferrier in 1840, but they had no children together. Ida died in 1859. Throughout his life and marriage, Dumas had several mistresses and fathered at least four children. On December 5, 1870, Dumas died, most likely of a heart attack. He was 68 years old.

2. A form of this quotation is still popular today: "Variety's the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavour." Who first said it in a poem?

From Quiz More Authors Who Also Wrote Hymns

Answer: William Cowper

Another saying still heard today derives from a hymn of Cowper's: "God works in mysterious ways." The hymn is "God Moves in a Mysterious Way His Wonders to Perform." In 1779, Cowper published "Olney Hymns" with another hymn writer, his friend, John Newton.

3. Who wrote the first non-family biography of Mark Twain?

From Quiz 19th Century American Literary Men

Answer: William Dean Howells

William Dean Howells and Joseph Twichell were probably Mark Twain's two closest friends. As an editor, Howells helped to promote Twain's work. They kept up a monumental correspondence. Twichell was Twain's one-time minister.

4. Reverend Wilbert Awdry, the creator of "Thomas the Tank Engine", grew up near which railway main line in Box, Wiltshire? This railway is featured in some of his stories.

From Quiz Choo Choose Thomas! Part 2

Answer: The Great Western Railway

Wilbert Awdry was the son of an Anglican vicar; his family moved around a lot when he was young. One of his more permanent homes, called "Journey's End" by the family, was just 200 yards from the Box Tunnel, which was built from 1838-1841, and is considered to be an important feature of the Great Western Main Line. Awdry wrote that as a young boy he would listen to the train whistles at night, and learned to distinguish between the different coded signals. It was at that time that he decided, "There was no doubt in my mind that steam engines all had definite personalities". One of Thomas's friends, Duck, worked for the Great Western Railway before coming to the Island of Sodor. In the story, "The Thomas Way", Duck learns that his original mantra, "There are two ways of doing things: the Great Western way, or the wrong way", might not be correct; there is a third way of doing things - the Thomas way! Nevertheless, Duck has the final word, pointing out that the Great Western Way is usually the best!

5. He wrote "Old Man and The Sea " and is considered one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. Which author am I describing?

From Quiz Match The Right Writer To The Right Written Tome

Answer: Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway came into this world on July 21, 1899 in Cicero, Illinois. Cicero later became known as Oak Park. He started out as a journalist but then went to serve in WW1 and later won a Pulitzer (1953) for his novel "Old Man and The Sea". He suffered from depression and alcoholism and committed suicide on July 2, 1961 in Ketchum, Idaho. He has famous grandchildren, Margaux and Mariel, both of whom made names for themselves in the film and entertainment industry. My favorite quote of Ernest's is "The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them."

6. Which Indian Hindu monk, whose birthday is celebrated as "National Youth Day" in India, wrote the book "Karma-yoga"?

From Quiz Authors of India

Answer: Swami Vivekanand

Swami Vivekanand is responsible for the inspirational statement, "Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached." His real name was Narendranath Vishwanath Datta and he was born on 12 January 1863 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. He was a disciple of Ram Krishna Paramhansa. He founded the Ramkrishna Mission. He died on 4 July 1902 (aged 39) at Belur Math, West Bengal, India. He also founded Arya Samaj. He wrote several books such as "Vedanta Philosophy", "Hatha Yoga", "Karma Yoga", "Gyana Yoga" and "Inspired Talks".

7. The famous poet John Keats died at the very early age of 25. What disease did Keats have that caused him to die so young?

From Quiz Kick The Bucket

Answer: Tuberculosis

John Keats was born on October 31, 1795 and died on February 23, 1821 at the age of 25. Although tuberculosis took this poet so soon, many of his works are still remembered today. Keats is considered one of the greatest Romantics in the history of poetry.

8. Which Indian president wrote the book "You are Born to blossom"?

From Quiz Authors from India (Part II)

Answer: A.P.J Abdul Kalam

The full name of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam is Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam. He is an Indian scientist. He also served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. He is known as "Missile Man of India". His other famous books include: "India 2020", "Mere Sapno Ka Bharat", "Wings of Fire", "Ignited Minds", "The Scientific India", "My Journey" and some more books.

9. George Orwell is well known for books such as, "Nineteen Eighty-Four" and "Animal Farm", but he was also a participant in the civil war of which country?

From Quiz Might Makes Write

Answer: Spain

Orwell is one of the best known novelists in British literature, especially for his writings about the dangers of totalitarianism. One of the defining events that helped shape his political views was the Spanish Civil War, in which the Spanish Nationalists fought the Spanish Republicans for control of Spain. Orwell volunteered to fight for Republican Spain, initially seeing the civil war as a conflict between democracy and fascism. However, the Spanish Republicans were a very fractured group as while the general goal was to defeat the Nationalists and secure the Spanish Republic, there was infighting between the various factions that composed the Spanish Republicans. The faction Orwell had joined up with, the POUM (Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista), were accused of treason by other Spanish Communist factions as a result of the POUM's opposition to Stalinism. The crackdown against the POUM by those it once considered allies greatly influenced Orwell's future writings as while he considered himself a democratic socialist and an anti-fascist, he was also an anti-communist with a deep dislike of Stalinism.

10. This man composed two epic poems around 800-700 BC, the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey". Who was it?

From Quiz Writers of the Ancient World

Answer: Homer

The "Iliad" is an epic poem set during the war between Troy (Ilium) and several Greek states. The core of the story is a quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon, but there are many other events in the epic. The "Odyssey" tells us about Ulysses, one of the Greeks in the Trojan War and his adventures during his trip back home, which lasted ten years. Homer is said to have been blind. His poems originated eight centuries before Christ and are the first works of Western Literature.

11. This author is known predominantly for his superb twist endings. You may remember his gifted tales, "The Gift of the Magi," and "The Ransom of Red Chief." What is his given name?

From Quiz Drink up me Hearties

Answer: William Sydney Porter

William Sydney Porter is more popularly known as O. Henry. A supremely prolific writer, Porter had his problems. Despite his success and talent, Porter liked to indulge in alcohol. His excess in drinking led to his death in 1910 of cirrhosis of the liver with complications. Nevertheless, he left a literary legacy surpassed by only a few.

12. Which New England born, nineteenth century poet, and staunch abolitionist, wrote the poem, "Snow Bound"?

From Quiz Meter Magic

Answer: John Greenleaf Whittier

Snow Bound "The sun that brief December day Rose cheerless over hills of gray,..? Born in 1807 of Quaker parents on a farm in Haverhill Massachusetts, John Greenleaf Whittier is the author of the poem, "Snowbound". At the age of 19, Whittier was first published by the "The Newbury Post Free Press". Whittier's sister sent one of his first poems, "The Exile's Express", to "The Newbury Post Free Press" and John's poems were published weekly in that newspaper. Under the guidance of the renowned abolitionist and publisher of "The Newbury Post Free Press", William Lloyd Garrison, Whittier became a strong supporter of the Abolitionist movement. His most famous work, "Snow Bound" firmly established his popular and financial success as a poet. John Greenleaf Whittier was a member of the "The Fireside Poets" group.

13. Samuel Taylor Coleridge claimed he was inspired to write "Kubla Khan" after reading about Xanadu and partaking of which substance?

From Quiz Published Junkies

Answer: Opium

Coleridge's most famous poem, "Rime of the Ancient Mariner," was first published in a joint book of poems which contained work by William Wordsworth. The collection was titled "Lyrical Ballads" (1798).

14. Author of twenty-books, including "The Thorn Birds" and "Tim", this author hit the news by making a statement about a rape incident on Pitcairn Island in 2004, where she was then living. Who is she?

From Quiz Authors - Bits and Pieces

Answer: Colleen McCullough

McCullough was born in outback Australia in 1937. On reaching adulthood, she spent almost twenty years researching and teaching in the medical field. It was then that she wrote her first two works. The twenty-three books she churned out over the following years saw her become wealthy, and she moved to live permanently on Norfolk Island in the late 1970s. Her novels include "Tim" (1974) which tells the story of an intellectually slow young man and an older professional woman who marries him. Made into a film in 1979, it starred Mel Gibson and Piper Laurie. "The Thorn Birds", written in 1977, was made into a television series in 1983, starring Richard Chamberlain and a host of other top name actors. It relates the love story between a priest and a young woman. Yawnnnn. In 2004, a group of seven men on Pitcairn Island were charged with 55 sexual offences. These had taken place on various under-age girls of the island over a lengthy period of time. It was a long, ugly case, with the islanders defending their traditional sexual life style, and stating that this practice was common and acceptable. Colleen McCullough stated, in defence of the men, that it was "indigenous customs" and that it was "Polynesian to break your girls in at 12". This came from a highly educated woman, born into a civilised society in the 20th century.

15. After using my "Common Sense" to get through an "American Crisis", I was much later imprisoned in France, where I was initially an advocate for the French Revolution but later arrested for my criticism of Louis XVI's execution. Who am I?

From Quiz Those Scribbling Jailbirds

Answer: Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was credited by George Washington with having won the American Revolution with his "Common Sense" and "Crisis" publications. After the conflict, Paine eventually left the fledgling United States to return to England, where he began stirring up more revolutionary ideas with his "Rights of Man". Charged with treason, he fled to France, where he began feverishly fanning the flames of revolution there. However, his hatred of monarchical systems of government waned when he saw how bloody and chaotic France's revolution had become. He was accused of sympathy for the crown and imprisoned but he escaped trial and most likely the guillotine after the American ambassador to France, James Monroe, talked the French authorities into turning Paine over to him. Paine's American citizenship was renewed, but the incorrigible rebel published "The Age of Reason", in which he attacked institutionalized religion (including Christianity), and ruined his reputation. He died poor and unliked, and his body, being refused burial in a Christian cemetery, was interred on his own farm.

16. Ray Bradbury, a fantasy, science fiction, horror and mystery writer, was born in Waukegan, Illinois. He spent many of his early years in Waukegan. What personal oddity is he know for?

From Quiz Midwest Authors

Answer: He never obtained a driver's license

Even though Bradbury has lived for many years in Los Angeles, one of the most car intensive cities in the world, Bradbury has never obtained a driver's license. George H. W. Bush couldn't stand broccoli. Many writers are known for only writing late at night, but Bradbury wasn't one of them. Bradbury wrote every day. He did this supposedly due to an incident in his youth which made him want to "live forever." He used writing to do this. Bradbury died on June 5, 2012 at the age of 91. Bradbury doesn't favor book burning and censorship, as his "Fahrenheit 451" so ably points out. (JMElston)

17. Whose original decision was it to bring a group of cohorts to lunch at The Algonquin Hotel?

From Quiz Round and Round the Table

Answer: Alexander Woollcott

Alexander Woollcott, then the outspoken drama critic of the New York Times, had gathered at the Algonquin, by chance, with a group of fellow writers whose intention it was to roast him. They had such a jolly time that everyone vowed to return the next day and every day after that for more than 10 years. Woollcott is supposedly the inspiration for Sheridan Whiteside, the leading character in 'The Man Who Came to Dinner'. The Brandy Alexander is also supposed to have been named after him. He is also the originator of the quote "Everything I really like to do, is illegal, immoral or fattening". A viciously amusing man that savaged the Broadway theater for sport, he always gave true talent it's due. "At 83, George Bernard Shaw's mind was perhaps not quite as good as it used to be, but it was still better than anyone else's."

18. Byron's education seems to have been fairly normal for the time. Which English 'public' (that is fee-paying, boarding) school did he attend?

From Quiz Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know

Answer: Harrow

After beginning his formal education at Aberdeen Grammar School, Lord Byron was sent to Harrow School in 1801. He had the dubious honor of representing Harrow in the cricket team for the first Eton and Harrow Match, which was played in 1805 at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. He went on to Trinity College, Cambridge.

19. What forenames are concealed in T.S. Eliot?

From Quiz Initially Famous

Answer: Thomas Stearns

1888-1965. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Eliot settled in England and became a British citizen in 1927. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. His ashes are buried in Somerset, England, but he has a commemorative stone in 'Poets' Corner' Westminster Abbey.

20. Please name this "muggle" author who was born in Yate, South Gloucestershire, England.

From Quiz Authors I Love

Answer: J. K. Rowling

J. K. Rowling wrote the "Harry Potter" books of which there are seven in the series. She was born on July 31, 1965. The "J. K." in her name stands for "Joanne Kathleen", even though Kathleen is not her middle name. She goes by Jo.

21. As many will know Beatrix Potter wrote the stories about Peter Rabbit and his friends. But, do you know where in Wales she set the stories?

From Quiz A Literary Gazetteer of Wales

Answer: Tenby

There is a Blue Plaque on the wall of No 2, Croft Terrace, which commemorates the fact that 'Beatrix Potter 1866-1943 Author and Artist While staying at 2 Croft Terrace in 1900 drew the pond in the garden which featured in the tale of Peter Rabbit'.

22. What name was shared by author Agatha, her first husband, Archie, and their daughter, Rosalind?

From Quiz Authorial Family Ties

Answer: Christie

Agatha Miller married Archie Christie, and they had a daughter named Rosalind. Agatha's second husband was called Max Mallowan. Agatha Christie is, of course, one of the best known of all British authors.

23. This well-traveled Hungarian revealed his disenchantment with Communism in the 1940 novel "Darkness at Noon." Long suffering from leukemia and Parkinson's, he took a drug overdose in 1983.

From Quiz Literary Suicides

Answer: Arthur Koestler

Koestler was politically active throughout his life, embracing at different times Communism, anti-Communism, anti-Nazism, Zionism and euthanasia. A few years prior to his death he became the Vice-President of a voluntary euthanasia advocacy society in England. His suicide was committed jointly with his third wife, Cynthia.

24. This Irish writer worked many years as business manager at London's Lyceum Theatre.

From Quiz Literary Biographies

Answer: Bram Stoker

Bram Stoker, born in Dublin in 1847, is best remembered for one single work: the classic horror tale "Dracula". In 1878 he was chosen by the famous Shakespearean actor Henry Irving to manage the Lyceum Theatre in London, and held that position till 1902, when the theatre closed. Stoker and Irving were not only bound by business interests, but also by a strong, lifelong friendship. It is said that Irving, with his charismatic presence, peremptory manners and tall figure, had been the model for the figure of Dracula. Nevertheless, he never consented to play the role on stage. Celebrated Irish writers were also Samuel Beckett (1906-1989, "Waiting for Godot"); George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950, "Pygmalion"); and Oscar Wilde (1850-1900, "The Picture of Dorian Gray").

25. Can you identify this famous 15th/16th century European writer who was captured by pirates and spent five years as a slave?

From Quiz Collected Literary Oddities Vol. 2

Answer: Miguel de Cervantes

Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) was a Spanish novelist, playwright and poet. Although a prolific writer for his time it is as the creator of 'Don Quixote' that he is best known. He was an important figure in the history of Spanish literature. He was a veteran of the famous sea battle at Lepanto (1571) where his left hand was maimed. Some years later he and his brother were later captured by Turkish pirates and the brothers were held as slaves for five years (1580) until their family raised the money for their ransom.

26. Which popular writer (born in 1977) can claim genetic influences from 'Albert and the Lion' and 'James and the Giant Peach'?

From Quiz Collected Literary Oddities Vol. 1

Answer: Sophie Dahl

Sophie Dahl's grandfathers were Stanley Holloway and Roald Dahl. She is a well known British fashion model as well as an authoress. She has received some notoriety for posing naked for posters advertising perfumery. At the time the posters attracted the second highest level of complaints from the public of the USA.

27. Starting with the letter "A": She was an American author (19th C.) who wrote "Little Women" (among other things). What was her name?

From Quiz Authors from A to Z

Answer: Louisa May Alcott

She also wrote "Hospital Sketches" (1863) which was based on her experiences as a Union nurse during the American Civil War.

28. It's about four hundred years since I wrote my plays, and since then many of my lines (e.g. "All the world's a stage," "Brevity is the soul of wit,") have become proverbial. So I think I can safely say "I'LL MAKE A WISE PHRASE."

From Quiz Author Anagrams

Answer: William Shakespeare

Other appropriate anagrams of Shakespeare's name are "We all make his praise" and "A weakish speller, am I?" And Hamlet's celebrated line "Frailty, thy name is woman!" can be turned into "It's a whim of male tyranny!"

29. Which poet wrote "To Althea, from Prison"?

From Quiz Writers and Prisons

Answer: Richard Lovelace

"Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage". Many people know these famous lines, but do not know the name of the man who wrote them.

30. This man wrote fine poetry, despite intervals of both poverty and mental illness. Sadly, he outlived five of his children.

From Quiz Dramatic Lives of Literary People

Answer: John Clare

Clare lost one child in infancy and several others as young adults (mostly due to tuberculosis). His "I Am" is a fine poem - written from an asylum.

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