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The 'Epic of King Gesar', considered one of the longest epic poems in the world, is central to the folklore of which region?
- Mongolia and Tibet
- Japan and Korea
- Polynesia
- Sub-Saharan Africa
Answer: Mongolia and Tibet
The Epic of King Gesar is a living oral tradition in Tibet and Mongolia, recounting the magical and martial exploits of the legendary King Gesar of Ling.
The 17th-century Gujarati poet Premanand Bhatt is celebrated as the greatest master of the ________ (narrative storytelling) form.
- Akhyan
- Doha
- Kavya
- Vachan
Answer: Akhyan
Premanand Bhatt elevated the 'Akhyan' (a form of musical storytelling accompanied by a brass pot) to high literary art, adapting epics and puranic tales for Gujarati audiences.
The 17th-century Odia poet Dinakrushna Das is best known for his lyrical masterpiece ________.
- Rasa Kallola
- Chandi Purana
- Laxmi Purana
- Bidagdha Chintamani
Answer: Rasa Kallola
'Rasa Kallola' (Waves of Passion) is a celebrated Odia text that beautifully describes the divine love and Rasa Lila of Radha and Krishna.
The 19th-century French novelist Marie-Henri Beyle is best known by his pen name ________.
- Honoré de Balzac
- Stendhal
- Gustave Flaubert
- Émile Zola
Answer: Stendhal
Stendhal is celebrated for his masterpieces 'The Red and the Black' and 'The Charterhouse of Parma', and his acute psychological realism.
Octavia E. Butler's 'Parable of the Sower' features a protagonist, Lauren Olamina, who suffers from 'hyperempathy' and creates a new belief system called:
- Earthseed
- The Foundation
- Bene Gesserit
- The Culture
Answer: Earthseed
Earthseed is a philosophical religion based on the tenet 'God is Change,' developed by Lauren to survive and adapt in a dystopian, climate-ravaged California.
Which South African author won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991 and wrote novels like 'Burger's Daughter' and 'July's People'?
- J.M. Coetzee
- Nadine Gordimer
- Alan Paton
- Bessie Head
Answer: Nadine Gordimer
Nadine Gordimer was a fierce anti-apartheid activist whose literature deeply explored the moral and racial complexities of South African society.
The Kenyan author Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o famously renounced writing in English and switched to his native Gikuyu language after publishing which influential essay collection?
- The Black Hermit
- Decolonising the Mind
- A Grain of Wheat
- Petals of Blood
Answer: Decolonising the Mind
In 'Decolonising the Mind' (1986), Ngũgĩ argued that African writers must reject European languages to truly liberate their cultures from neo-colonial mental control.
'The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian' (1951) is a classic memoir by which prominent Indian intellectual and writer?
- Khushwant Singh
- Nirad C. Chaudhuri
- R.K. Narayan
- Mulk Raj Anand
Answer: Nirad C. Chaudhuri
Nirad C. Chaudhuri's memoir is famous for its controversial dedication to the British Empire and its erudite, critical analysis of Bengali society and Indian nationalism.
In Sangam poetics, the 'Paalai' landscape (Thinai) is associated with ________.
- Love and union in the mountains
- Separation, hardship, and the dry/wasteland region
- Heroism and cattle raiding in the pastoral tracts
- Waiting and longing in the coastal regions
Answer: Separation, hardship, and the dry/wasteland region
The Sangam 'Thinai' concept links specific landscapes to human emotions. Paalai represents the harsh, dry wasteland and the agonizing separation of lovers.
The Tamil novel 'Koveru Kazhuthaigal' (The Beasts of Burden), which depicts the life of washerfolk, was written by:
- Imayam
- Sundara Ramaswamy
- Jayakanthan
- Thi. Janakiraman
Answer: Imayam
Imayam (V. Annamalai) wrote 'Koveru Kazhuthaigal', a stark realist novel portraying the brutal socio-economic conditions of the Vannar (washer) community in rural Tamil Nadu.
Sharankumar Limbale's 'Akkarmashi' (The Outcaste) is an autobiography written in which language?
- Hindi
- Marathi
- Kannada
- Telugu
Answer: Marathi
Sharankumar Limbale wrote 'Akkarmashi' in Marathi. It explores the complex identity crisis of being born to a Dalit mother and an upper-caste (Patil) father.
The literary term 'Pathetic Fallacy' refers to:
- A logical error in a character's reasoning
- Attributing human emotion or conduct to nature and inanimate objects
- A tragic flaw that leads to a hero's downfall
- The use of overly sentimental language in poetry
Answer: Attributing human emotion or conduct to nature and inanimate objects
Coined by John Ruskin, the pathetic fallacy occurs when the environment reflects the mood of the characters, such as 'angry clouds' or 'weeping willows'.
Who wrote 'The Castle of Otranto' (1764), widely considered the first gothic novel in English literature?
- Horace Walpole
- Ann Radcliffe
- Matthew Lewis
- Mary Shelley
Answer: Horace Walpole
Horace Walpole's 'The Castle of Otranto' established the conventions of the gothic genre, including haunted castles, ancient prophecies, and supernatural events.
The Brontë sisters (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne) originally published their poetry collection under the male pseudonyms Currer, Ellis, and ________ Bell.
- Acton
- Aston
- Arthur
- Augustus
Answer: Acton
To avoid the prejudice against female writers, they used the pen names Currer (Charlotte), Ellis (Emily), and Acton (Anne) Bell.
The Sanskrit prose romance 'Kadambari', often considered one of the world's earliest novels, was left incomplete by Banabhatta and finished by his:
- Brother
- Son, Bhushanabhatta
- Disciple, Pulindabhatta
- Wife
Answer: Son, Bhushanabhatta
Banabhatta died before completing 'Kadambari'. It was finished by his son, Bhushanabhatta (also known as Pulindabhatta), ensuring its place in literary history.
The plays of the ancient Sanskrit dramatist Bhasa were completely lost for centuries until they were rediscovered in the early 20th century by T. Ganapati Sastri.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Bhasa was known only through references by later critics like Kalidasa until 13 palm-leaf manuscripts of his plays were discovered in Kerala in 1912.
The 'Panchatantra' was translated into Middle Persian (Pahlavi) and later into Arabic during the Sassanid era under the title:
- Kalila wa Dimna
- Shahnameh
- Ain-i-Akbari
- Tuti-nameh
Answer: Kalila wa Dimna
The physician Borzuya translated the Panchatantra into Pahlavi, which was later adapted into Arabic as 'Kalila wa Dimna' by Ibn al-Muqaffa, spreading its fables globally.
Which Pakistani author wrote the monumental Urdu novel 'Udaas Naslein' (The Weary Generations), which won the Adamjee Literary Award?
- Intizar Hussain
- Abdullah Hussain
- Bano Qudsia
- Ashfaq Ahmed
Answer: Abdullah Hussain
Abdullah Hussain published 'Udaas Naslein' in 1963. It traces the decline of a feudal family and the broader societal changes leading up to Partition.
'Aag Ka Darya' (River of Fire), a landmark Urdu novel spanning 2500 years of history from the Mauryan era to post-Partition India, was written by:
- Qurratulain Hyder
- Ismat Chughtai
- Khadija Mastur
- Hajra Masroor
Answer: Qurratulain Hyder
Qurratulain Hyder published 'Aag Ka Darya' in 1959. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels in the Urdu language.
Dom Moraes was the first Indian poet to win the Hawthornden Prize for his collection 'A Beginning'.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Dom Moraes won the prestigious Hawthornden Prize in 1958 for his debut poetry collection 'A Beginning', a rare feat for an Indian writing in English at the time.