General Awareness · English Language

Indian Literature and Authors

9,599 Questions

Indian Literature and Authors is a crucial topic for competitive exams, focusing on famous writers, notable books, and literary awards. Questions cover various regional, postcolonial, and historical texts. This collection helps test takers prepare effectively for general awareness sections.

Famous Indian authorsNotable Indian novelsPostcolonial literatureLiterary award winnersRegional Indian literature

Indian Literature and Authors Questions

Multiple choice

Which Indian author has written " Godan" ?

  1. R.k.Narayan

  2. R.N.Tagore

  3. Munshi Premchand

  4. Satyajit Ray
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Munshi Premchand, known as Upanyas Samrat (Emperor of Novelists), wrote Godan in 1936. This classic Hindi novel explores themes of rural poverty, exploitation of peasants, and the struggle for dignity. It's considered one of the greatest Hindi novels, portraying the tragic story of Hori Mahato and his desire to gift a cow in his final years.

Multiple choice

The book Coolie is written by?

  1. Kuldip Nayar

  2. Mulk Raj Anand

  3. Sarojini Naidu

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Mulk Raj Anand (1905-2004) was a prominent Indian English writer. 'Coolie' (1936) is one of his most famous novels, depicting the life and struggles of a young coolie (porter) named Munoo, highlighting social injustice and exploitation in colonial India.

Multiple choice

The book Gita Rahasya is written by

  1. Jayadev

  2. Bal Gangadhar Tilak

  3. Munshi Premchand

  4. Amrita Pritam
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Bal Gangadhar Tilak wrote 'Gita Rahasya' (The Secret of the Gita) in 1915 while imprisoned in Mandalay. It presents his interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita's philosophy of karma (action).

Multiple choice

The book Gitanjali is written by

  1. R.K. Narayan

  2. Rabindranath Tagore

  3. Bakim Chandra Chaterjee

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Gitanjali is a collection of 103 English poems by Rabindranath Tagore, published in 1912. It earned Tagore the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913, making him the first non-European Nobel laureate.

Multiple choice

Who wrote the famous drama 'Neel Darpan', which depicted the agony of the indigo cultivators and brutality of the planters?

  1. Harish Chandra Mukherjee

  2. Dinabandhu Mitra

  3. Sisir Kumar Ghose

  4. Ram Gopal Ghose
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Dinabandhu Mitra wrote the famous Bengali play 'Neel Darpan' (The Indigo Mirror) in 1860, which exposed the exploitation of indigo farmers by British planters. The play was a powerful critique of the indigo plantation system and played a significant role in building consciousness against colonial oppression in Bengal.

Multiple choice

“The Inheritance of Loss” is a novel by

  1. Raj Kamal Jha

  2. Anita Desai

  3. Kiran Desai

  4. Kiran Bedi
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Kiran Desai won the Man Booker Prize in 2006 for 'The Inheritance of Loss'. Anita Desai is her mother and also a renowned novelist. Raj Kamal Jha and Kiran Bedi are authors but not associated with this novel.

Multiple choice

Who among the following received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2006?

  1. Ban Ki-moon

  2. Margarer Chan

  3. Orhan Pamuk

  4. Kiran Desai
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Orhan Pamuk from Turkey won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2006. Ban Ki-moon is a diplomat (UN Secretary General), Margaret Chan is a physician (WHO Director-General), and Kiran Desai is a novelist but not the 2006 Nobel laureate.

Multiple choice

Who is the author of 'A River Sutra'?

  1. V.S.Naipaul

  2. Nirad C.Choudhuri

  3. Gita Mehta

  4. Vikram Seth
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Gita Mehta is the author of 'A River Sutra,' a novel that explores themes of pilgrimage and spirituality through interconnected stories set around the Narmada River. Published in 1993, the book weaves together Hindu mythology with contemporary narratives, making it a significant work in Indian English literature that bridges ancient and modern storytelling traditions.

Multiple choice

In 2009, who among the following won the the Man Booker Prize?

  1. Kiran Desai

  2. V.S Naipaul

  3. Salman Rushdie

  4. Hilary Mantel
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Hilary Mantel won the 2009 Man Booker Prize for her novel 'Wolf Hall', a historical fiction about Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII. It was the first book in her acclaimed Cromwell trilogy.