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Writers  Authors Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Writers  Authors Quizzes, Trivia

Writers & Authors Trivia

Writers & Authors Trivia Quizzes

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Fun Trivia
61.
  Dramatic Lives of Creative People    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many of the truly creative people (writers, artists, musicians) have greater drama in their lives than in their works. See what you know about some of them.
Tough, 10 Qns, robert362, Aug 23 10
Tough
robert362
2879 plays
62.
  Authors From India (Part I)    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
India is a great country and there are many authors from India. Take this quiz and enjoy. This is my first quiz. I hope you get to know about Indian authors.
Average, 10 Qns, Insanity_In_Me, Feb 20 22
Average
Insanity_In_Me
Feb 20 22
229 plays
63.
  Very Dramatic Lives of Creative People    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is another of my quizzes about the dramatic lives of creative people. This one deals entirely with authors. You may not know the answers, but (hopefully) you'll find the information interesting.
Tough, 10 Qns, robert362, Feb 05 12
Tough
robert362
1457 plays
64.
  Published Junkies    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Drugs and booze have fueled some fantastic writers. This quiz is dedicated to their lives and works.
Average, 10 Qns, coldmachine45, Sep 23 13
Average
coldmachine45
490 plays
65.
  Comedic Playwrights Through History    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Try your luck at various comedic playwrights from ancient Rome to ones who are still living today.
Average, 15 Qns, GWU_Boy, Feb 04 06
Average
GWU_Boy
1096 plays
66.
  19th Century American Literary Men    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is about the lives of some 19th century American authors, their interactions and relationships.
Tough, 10 Qns, GLBlesi, Apr 12 19
Tough
GLBlesi
Apr 12 19
238 plays
67.
  Interesting Facts About Famous Writers    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Every person has something unusually interesting about them. Here is a quiz with some little known facts about some of our best loved writers.
Tough, 10 Qns, mnina, Jul 30 20
Tough
mnina
Jul 30 20
969 plays
68.
  Who Literally Said What About Which Literary Great    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Who literally made the following praiseworthy or not so praiseworthy statements about which literary heavyweights? Multiple choice.
Average, 10 Qns, Engadine, Jul 21 15
Average
Engadine
803 plays
69.
  Overlooked or Forgotten Writers    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many of the so-called 'masters' seem to have been overlooked recently. See which ones you recognize.
Average, 10 Qns, robert362, Feb 10 16
Average
robert362
2863 plays
70.
  Writers and Actors    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Take a look at the lives of some interesting people.
Tough, 10 Qns, robert362, Nov 20 06
Tough
robert362
1934 plays
71.
  Author, Author!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I just love to read, and here are some questions about my favourite authors.
Difficult, 10 Qns, ecnalubma, Feb 10 11
Difficult
ecnalubma
675 plays
72.
  More Authors Who Also Wrote Hymns    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
These are all authors from the U.K. who also wrote hymns that are included in modern hymnals. They wrote novels, children's books, poetry and non-fiction. The questions concern their lives and achievements.
Tough, 10 Qns, GLBlesi, Apr 19 19
Tough
GLBlesi
Apr 19 19
107 plays
73.
  Last Poet Standing    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
We all love poems. But do we know when great poets lived? Or when they died? Let see if you can guess, for each quartet of poets, which one was the last to depart.
Tough, 10 Qns, zordy, Nov 25 10
Tough
zordy gold member
321 plays
74.
  Romanticism and Critical Theory    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a quiz about the Romantics and some basic theory stuff that I'm currently revising, I'll give you a quotation and you simply have to choose the person who wrote it. The theory is all mixed up with the Romantics :)
Tough, 10 Qns, Angelic101, Sep 08 07
Tough
Angelic101
377 plays
75.
  Writers And Their Muses    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
'Behind every great man', they say ...
Tough, 10 Qns, robert362, Dec 21 09
Tough
robert362
1097 plays
76.
  Dramatic Lives of Literary People    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is another in my series of quizzes about the dramatic lives of creative people. It's difficult, perhaps, but (hopefully) interesting and informative.
Difficult, 10 Qns, robert362, Jul 03 09
Difficult
robert362
639 plays
77.
  The Benchleys    
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
About the famed three-generation literary family.
Tough, 15 Qns, tjoebigham, Oct 17 16
Tough
tjoebigham
202 plays
78.
  A Date with the Dewey Decimal System    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Melvil Dewey invented the Dewey Decimal System for library classification. Here are some examples of his system. See if you can figure out which author matches the classification mentioned in each question.
Tough, 10 Qns, Deunan, Jun 02 10
Tough
Deunan
364 plays
79.
  Weird Facts About Authors    
Multiple Choice
 5 Qns
Following are mixed trivia questions about authors.
Tough, 5 Qns, ravenskye, Jun 01 06
Tough
ravenskye
1917 plays
80.
  Authors Who Also Wrote Hymns    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
All of these writers wrote one or more hymns that have made it into our modern hymnals. All were in 19th century America. They were primarily novelists, poets and essayists. This quiz pertains mostly to their lives and occupations, sometimes their works.
Tough, 10 Qns, GLBlesi, Apr 17 19
Tough
GLBlesi
Apr 17 19
129 plays
81.
  Quotes from the Literary Gods    
Multiple Choice
 5 Qns
Some of my favorite people of old generated the following quotes, which I now present for your enjoyment...indulge!
Difficult, 5 Qns, thejazzkickazz, Aug 02 05
Difficult
thejazzkickazz gold member
582 plays
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Writers & Authors Trivia Questions

61. Who wrote the book "Suryavansha"?

From Quiz
Authors From India (Part I)

Answer: Kalidas

Kalidas was a Classical Sanskrit writer and is widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language. He is also known as 'Shakespeare Of India'. His other famous books: "Meghduta", "The Birth of Kumara", "The Origin of Young God" and other works.

62. Kurt Vonnegut's novel, "Slaughterhouse-Five", was greatly influenced by his own experiences in World War II. Which branch of the U.S. Armed Forces did he serve in?

From Quiz Might Makes Write

Answer: Army

Kurt Vonnegut served in the 106th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army. The 106th at the time was inexperienced and ended up being caught off-guard by a surprise German offensive that kick-started the Battle of the Bulge. Vonnegut was captured by the Germans and sent with other prisoners in a boxcar to a prison camp near the city of Dresden. He and other prisoners lived in a slaughterhouse and were put to work at a factory. On February 13, 1945, Allied bombers attacked the city of Dresden, reducing much of the city to rubble and killing many civilians. Vonnegut survived the bombings thanks to hiding in a meat locker located underground. After the bombing, he was tasked with excavating bodies from the rubble so that they could be buried. The experience and aftermath of the bombing of Dresden greatly traumatized Vonnegut, and those familiar with the book, "Slaughterhouse-Five", can see how much of an influence his experiences in war played in his novel.

63. This disciple of Socrates wrote the "Dialogues", based on Socrates' teachings. He also wrote "The Republic". Who was this great philosopher?

From Quiz Writers of the Ancient World

Answer: Plato

The "Dialogues" by Plato tell us about Socrates' teachings. Two of them are of special interest: "Crito" is a conversation between Socrates and his rich friend Crito about "justice" and why Socrates should face death and not try to escape. In "Phaedo", Plato describes Socrates' death and his beliefs in a spiritual world. After Socrates died, Plato traveled for 12 years and finally went back to Athens and founded the Academy. One of his most famous students was Aristotle.

64. This author's first successful novel was entitled, "The Big Sleep." He created the most noted character of Philip Marlowe. Who is this author?

From Quiz Drink up me Hearties

Answer: Raymond Chandler

"Dead men are heavier than broken hearts", is the epitaph placed on Chandler's tombstone. Sadly, Chandler abused alcohol throughout his career in writing. His writing apparently did not improve with this imbibing. Interestingly enough, Humphrey Bogart seemed to portray the quintessential Philip Marlowe.

65. Although you might not immediately recognize the book "The Mediterranean Caper," you might know the main character Dirk Pitt. Who is this adventure story writer whose series include "The Numa Files" and the "Oregon Files"?

From Quiz Right Makes Write

Answer: Clive Cussler

Clive Cussler first big success was "Raise the Titanic." He has made the New York Best Seller List multiple times, including being number 1 six times. Is he conservative? In 2013, he hosted a $5000.00 a plate Arizona Republican party fundraiser.

66. Which renowned literary critic, lecturer, essayist, and author, which early twentieth century poet wrote the poem, "The Donkey"?

From Quiz Meter Magic

Answer: G. K. Chesterton

The Donkey "When forests walked and fishes flew and figs grew upon the thorn...." G. K. Chesterton Educated at St. Paul's School, London, G. K. Chesteron did not complete his course at the Slade School of Art. Chesterton's writing career began with menial jobs in the newspaper publishing field. His brother, Cecil, owned the newspaper, "The New Witness" and upon the death of the latter's death Gilbert took over its publication, and thus the start of his literary career. G. K. Chesterton considered himself just a "jolly journalist". Gilbert Keith Chesterton is famous for his acumen, be it in literary criticism, religious philosophy, biographer, or author. An Anglican convert to Roman Catholicism, his popular success came with the publication of the Father Brown detective stories. The first of which, "The Innocence of Father Brown", was published in 1911. The poem "The Donkey" reflects G.K. Chesterton's religiosity in his writings, with the celebration of the humble donkey ridden by Christ as he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

67. There is no evidence to suggest Walt Whitman took drugs. However, this man who cited Whitman as a major influence did. He is famous for seeing "the best minds of [his] generation destroyed by madness ..." Who is he?

From Quiz Published Junkies

Answer: Allen Ginsberg

Ginsberg's blatant references to homosexuality and drug use in this seminal work of American poetry led to a 1957 obscenity trial. Ultimately, the California Supreme Court held that the work was of "redeeming social importance."

68. "The White Mountains" wasn't just about humans. It also featured foreign aliens. Who wrote "The White Mountains"?

From Quiz More Than Human

Answer: John Christopher

John Christopher was a pseudonym for Samuel Youd (1922-2012). He also wrote "The Death of Grass". "The White Mountains" is about how Will, the protagonist, runs away to the White Mountains to avoid being enslaved by the Tripods. The Tripods are aliens who took over Earth and rule over the people. "The White Mountains" came out in 1967.

69. Author of the "Mary Poppins" series of books, P. L. Travers, had a ding dong row with which producer of the film?

From Quiz Authors - Bits and Pieces

Answer: Walt Disney

Pamela Lyndon Travers was an Australian author and actress. She was born in Maryborough, Queensland in 1899, and died in London in 1996 at the grand old age of 96. She wrote a series of eight books about Mary Poppins. More films weren't made from Pamela's books on the brisk Nanny because Mary and Walt Disney had a real falling out about his interpretation of her work. She particularly disliked the watering down of the "harsher aspects of Mary Poppins's character", didn't particularly care for the music included in the film and didn't like the animated scenes. Her portrayal of the character was a nanny who was "stern, vain, and usually cross", not the somewhat sugary character seen in the film. As a result of this disagreement, she wasn't even invited to the premiere of the film and had to apply for permission to attend. There she argued once again with Disney, stating that the animated sequences had to come out. Disney's reaction was to turn his back on her and walk away, saying as he went, "Pamela, that ship has already sailed". She never forgave him, refused to grant permission to have any more movies made on Mary Poppins and, for the rest of her life, refused to have any American at all have anything to do with her work.

70. In 1846, I left my "walled-in" solitude in Concord, Massachusetts, to spend a night in jail because of my "Civil Disobedience". Who am I?

From Quiz Those Scribbling Jailbirds

Answer: Henry David Thoreau

During his two-year stay at Walden Pond, Thoreau spent one night in the local jail after refusing to pay his poll tax, an act of protest against the United States' war with Mexico. He felt the war was an excuse for more territory for the expansion of slavery, something he vehemently despised. This experience inspired him to write and publish "Resistance to Civil Government" in 1849; however, the title was suspiciously changed to "Civil Disobedience" in 1866 in another publication. As legend has it, Emerson, Thoreau's mentor and friend, visited him the night of his stay in jail and asked Thoreau, "Why are you here?" Thoreau replied, "Why are you NOT here?"

71. Mark Twain, the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was born in Florida, Missouri on November 30, 1835. What other event occurred in November 1835 that left a lasting impression on him?

From Quiz Midwest Authors

Answer: The appearance of Halley's Comet

He is quoted as saying he intended to go out with Halley's Comet and it would be the biggest disappointment of his life if he didn't. He died in April 1910 -- the same month as the comet's return. His boyhood home and Tom Sawyer's cave are open to the public in Hannibal, Missouri. Mark Twain National Forest in South Central Missouri was established in 1939. The Sultana sank in 1865, the Mexican-American War started in 1846 and Missouri became a state in 1821. (Duchess716)

72. Harold Ross, an experienced newspaperman, and an early Algonquin luncher, founded which famous and witty publication in New York in the 1920s?

From Quiz Round and Round the Table

Answer: The New Yorker Magazine & The New Yorker & New Yorker Magazine & New Yorker

Although not an especially cultured man himself, he was a meticulous editor with an innate sense of what felt right in a piece. James Thurber said of him "He had a sound sense, a unique almost intuitive perception of what was wrong with something, incomplete or out of balance, understated or over-emphasized." He also described Ross's mind as being "uncluttered with culture". Ross created a forum for some of the best writers and satirical cartoonists of the day, a tradition that has been carried into the 21st Century.

73. W. H. Auden - What are Auden's forenames?

From Quiz Initially Famous

Answer: Wystan Hugh

1907-1973. Born in York, England, Auden became a resident in the U.S.A, in 1939 and became a U.S. citizen in 1946. From 1956-1961 he was Professor of Poetry at Oxford University. He died in Vienna and is buried at Kirchstetten.

74. Lemony Snicket is the pseudonym for which author?

From Quiz Authors I Love

Answer: Daniel Handler

Daniel Handler, as Lemony Snicket, wrote "A Series of Unfortunate Events". There are thirteen books in the series. He was born on February 28, 1970 in San Francisco, California. "Lemony Snicket" is the narrator for "A Series of Unfortunate Events".

75. Rupert Bear appeared in his own books as well as in newspaper comic strips. His adventues were based in what part of Wales?

From Quiz A Literary Gazetteer of Wales

Answer: Beddgelert

Mr. Alfred Edmeades Bestall, M.B.E. who illustrated the famous Rupert Bear stories, in the 'Daily Express' newspaper for over 40 years, lived in Beddgelert in North Wales. He made his home in a little cottage called "Penlan" in 1956. Many of the illustrations to the Rupert Bear stories were inspired by the scenery in and around Beddgelert. Over the footbridge and alongside the River Glaslyn, a meadow known as "Cae Gel" has recently been planted with shrubs, trees and wild flowers, to be used as a picnic area It has been created with the financial help of "The Followers of Rupert Bear" in memory of Mr Bestall.

76. What surname was shared by author Monica, her husband, Bill, and their children Shelley and Sean?

From Quiz Authorial Family Ties

Answer: Edwards

Monica Edwards was a popular author during the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s. Her best known books were contained in two series - The Romney Marsh and Punchbowl Farm series, but she also wrote non-fiction for adults. Titles included "The Cats of Punchbowl Farm" and "Badger Valley".

77. The poem is called 'Ballad of Another Ophelia'. Once I had a lover bright like running water, Once his face was laughing like the sky, Open like the sky looking down in all its laughter On the buttercups, and the buttercups was I.

From Quiz Poets Who Were Novelists and vice versa

Answer: Lady Chatterley's Lover

D. H. [David Herbert] Lawrence's 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' was first printed in Florence, Italy, in 1928. It was banned as 'pornography' in both the UK and the USA for many years; not until 1960 was it published in the UK. 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' was written by Oscar Wilde in 1890. 'Middlemarch' was written by George Eliot in 1872; George Eliot was actually the pen name of Mary Ann Evans. 'Evelina' was an epistolary novel - a novel told through letters - and was written by Fanny Burney in 1778.

78. This American poet composed "Lady Lazarus", in which she recounts previous suicide attempts: "I am only thirty. And like the cat I have nine times to die. This is number three." In 1963, she fatally gassed herself.

From Quiz Literary Suicides

Answer: Sylvia Plath

Plath was married to another celebrated poet, Ted Hughes. Their relationship was dramatized in the 2003 film "Sylvia," starring Daniel Craig and Gwyneth Paltrow.

79. On his death bed, he asked his lifelong friend, Max Brod, to burn all his unpublished manuscripts, but luckily Brod ignored the request.

From Quiz Literary Biographies

Answer: Franz Kafka

A writer himself, Max Brod (1884-1968) was Franz Kafka's friend, supporter, literary executor and biographer. Frank Kafka was born in 1883 to a Jewish German-speaking family in Prague, a city which belonged at the time to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Kafka's novels, such as "The Metamorphosis" (1915), or the posthumously published "The Trial" (1925) and "The Castle" (1926), have come to symbolise the angst and alienation of the modern man in a hostile and absurd world. Kafka died of tuberculosis in 1924. Czech-born Austrian writer Franz Werfel (1890-1945) belonged to the circle of friends around Kafka and Brod. Austrian was also biographer, novelist and essayist Stephan Zweig (1881-1942). Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921-1990, "The Visit of the Old Lady") is one of the most illustrious contemporary Swiss playwrights and novelists.

80. This American nineteenth-century novelist and prolific writer worked variously as a printer's apprentice, a river-boat pilot and a silver prospector. Can you name him?

From Quiz Collected Literary Oddities Vol. 2

Answer: Mark Twain

Mark Twain was the pen name of Samuel Clemens (1835-1910) one of America's most prolific and respected writers with over thirty novels and hundreds of short stories to his credit. He was an avid correspondent and his letters reveal him to have had wide contacts with the literati of his day including Robert Browning, Robert Louis Stevenson, Ivan Turgenev and William Dean Howells to name but a few.

81. The church where the ashes of T.S. Eliot are buried also contains a memorial to the explorer who rescued Alexander Selkirk (who was Daniel Defoe's model for Robinson Crusoe). Who was that explorer?

From Quiz Collected Literary Oddities Vol. 1

Answer: William Dampier

William Dampier (1651-1715) was Master of the vessel who rescued Alexander Selkirk. The church was East Coker. Dampier was the first person to circumnavigate the world twice, and went on to complete a third circumnavigation. His career was a mixture of scientific discovery, exploration and buccaneering.

82. Which English novelist wrote "Wuthering Heights"?

From Quiz Authors from A to Z

Answer: Emily Bronte

Emily, who is often said to have surpassed her sisters Charlotte and Anne as a poet and writer, published her masterpiece "Wuthering Heights" in 1847 under the name of Ellis Bell. (In those days it wasn't considered quite proper in England for a woman to write published novels, so some wrote under pseudonyms).

83. Oscar Wilde served time in prison. Why?

From Quiz Writers and Prisons

Answer: Charges involving his sexual behavior

Wilde got into trouble for flaunting his homosexuality. While in prison, he wrote "De Profundis" about his experiences; "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" also draws on his prison experiences.

84. This author destroyed part of a manuscript that he had written, then more-or-less starved himself to death in "preparation" for doing more writing.

From Quiz Dramatic Lives of Literary People

Answer: Gogol

He wrote "Dead Souls". Then, he wrote a second part - and destroyed it. He fasted in order to get ready to write another segment ... but apparently went too far and destroyed his health.

85. What was George Eliot's real name?

From Quiz Interesting Facts About Famous Writers

Answer: Mary Ann Evans

A woman, Mary Ann Evans used the name George Eliot to ease publication. An interesting tidbit of information about George Eliot - She had a romantic affair with a married man, George Henry Lewes, for over twenty years because he couldn't divorce his mentally unbalanced wife.

86. Born in Venusia in 65 BC and died in Tibur in 8 BC, this ancient author penned "Satires" from 35-30 BC and "Epistles" from 20-17 BC. Although an Italian he studied in Athens. Who is he?

From Quiz Famous Authors And Poets Biographies

Answer: Horace

He also wrote "Epodes" in 30 BC and "Odes" from 23-13 BC.

87. In the 50s another book by a great Polish novelist was made into a Hollywood movie. The title of the book is "Quo Vadis" and its author was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature at the beginning of the 20th century. Who is he?

From Quiz Famous Polish Writers

Answer: Henryk Sienkiewicz

Henryk Sienkiewicz was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "because of his outstanding merits as an epic writer" in 1905. Sienkiewicz was the most celebrated and prolific Polish writer of the second half of the 19th century. His greatest literary achievement is a historical trilogy, which consists of "Ogniem i Mieczem" (With Fire and Sword), "Potop" (The Deluge) and "Pan Wolodyjowski" (Pan Michael), about Poland's glorious past (all three novels were adapted into very popular movies). In 1895 Sienkiewicz published "Quo Vadis", a novel about Christians persecuted in Rome under the reign of Emperor Nero. Several movies were based on that novel, but the most elaborate version was produced by MGM in 1951, and starred Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr and Peter Ustinov.

88. "He has plenty of music in him, but he cannot get it out." Was said by whom about Robert Browning?

From Quiz Who Literally Said What About Which Literary Great

Answer: Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, British poet laureate, was credited with this quip in 1897 in "A Memoir by his Son". He served 42 years as poet laureate and his works reflected the moral and intellectual values of his time.

89. Who is the heroine of the last book this writer completed?

From Quiz Common Bond - Find This Mystery Author

Answer: Anne Elliot

"Persuasion" was her last completed novel.

90. This author apparently didn't allow his marriage to his wife - and his thirteen children with her - to deter him from relationships with other women.

From Quiz Very Dramatic Lives of Creative People

Answer: Leo Tolstoy

The author of what many consider to be the greatest novel ever written may have been serious in his writing, but didn't allow that to prevent him from enjoying himself outside of his marriage. Kafka also had family problems: see his famous letter to his father. As for Dostoevski, being lined up in front of a firing squad for execution probably isn't a lot of laughs.

This is category 248
Last Updated Mar 23 2024 5:44 AM
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