Literature
47 questions tagged Literature — spanning every one of the seven Ws.
Whose works make up the most translated books?
The Bible is the most translated book in history, available in over 700 languages (complete) and 3,589 languages (partial translations). After religious texts, Pinocchio and The Little Prince are among the most translated.
Whose Plays Shaped English Literature?
William Shakespeare wrote 37-39 plays and 154 sonnets that profoundly shaped the English language and world literature.
Whose Novels Pioneered Science Fiction?
Jules Verne and H.G. Wells are considered the fathers of science fiction, with Verne emphasising scientific plausibility and Wells exploring social themes.
Whose diary documented life hiding during the Holocaust?
Anne Franks diary recorded her years hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam.
When was the first Harry Potter book published?
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was published by Bloomsbury in the UK on 26 June 1997, with a first hardback print run of just 500 copies.
Which book is the best-selling of all time?
The Bible is the best-selling book ever, with an estimated 5 billion or more copies printed and distributed.
Whose stories created Sherlock Holmes?
Sherlock Holmes was created by Scottish author and doctor Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, first appearing in 1887.
Whose novel is 1984?
Nineteen Eighty-Four was written by English author George Orwell and published on 8 June 1949.
When was William Shakespeare born?
Shakespeare was baptised on 26 April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, and his birthday is traditionally celebrated on 23 April.
Whose novel is Pride and Prejudice?
Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice, published anonymously in January 1813 and credited only to the author of Sense and Sensibility.
Whose play is Romeo and Juliet?
Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare, probably between 1594 and 1596, and first printed in 1597.
Whose novel is Frankenstein?
Frankenstein was written by English author Mary Shelley and first published anonymously on 1 January 1818.
Whose novel created Dracula?
Count Dracula was created by Irish author Bram Stoker in his novel Dracula, published on 26 May 1897.
Whose play is Hamlet?
William Shakespeare, who wrote it around 1600. It is his longest play and one of the most performed in the world.
Whose novel is War and Peace?
Leo Tolstoy, the Russian writer, who published it in the 1860s. It follows Russian families through the Napoleonic Wars.
Whose novel is Don Quixote?
Miguel de Cervantes, the Spanish writer, who published it in two parts in 1605 and 1615. It is often called the first modern novel.
Whose novel is Moby-Dick?
Herman Melville, the American author, who published it in 1851. It was a commercial failure in his lifetime but is now a classic.
Whose novel is The Great Gatsby?
F. Scott Fitzgerald, who published it in 1925. It is a portrait of wealth, longing and the Jazz Age in 1920s America.
Whose novel is To Kill a Mockingbird?
Harper Lee, who published it in 1960. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1961.
Whose books are The Lord of the Rings?
J. R. R. Tolkien, the English writer and Oxford professor, who published the story in three volumes in 1954 and 1955.
Whose books are The Chronicles of Narnia?
C. S. Lewis, the Irish-born author and scholar, who published the seven Narnia books between 1950 and 1956.
Whose book is Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland?
Lewis Carroll, the pen name of the Oxford mathematician Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, who published it in 1865.
Whose fairy tale is The Little Mermaid?
Hans Christian Andersen, the Danish author, who published it in 1837. The original ending is far sadder than the Disney film.
Whose epic is The Odyssey?
It is traditionally credited to Homer, the ancient Greek poet, and was probably composed around the 8th century BC.
Whose Novel Introduced Frankenstein?
Mary Shelley published Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus in 1818.
What is a sonnet?
A sonnet is a 14-line poem with a set rhyme scheme and rhythm, traditionally exploring themes like love, time and beauty.
What is onomatopoeia?
Onomatopoeia is a word that imitates the sound it describes, such as buzz, sizzle, splash or cuckoo.
What is an oxymoron?
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two contradictory words for effect, such as 'deafening silence' or 'bittersweet'.
Whose Book Is The Little Prince?
The Little Prince was written and illustrated by French aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and published in 1943.
Whose Creation Is Paddington Bear?
Paddington Bear was created by British author Michael Bond, first appearing in A Bear Called Paddington in 1958.
Whose Creation Is Peter Rabbit?
Peter Rabbit was created by English author and illustrator Beatrix Potter, first published commercially in 1902.
Whose Book Is The Gruffalo?
The Gruffalo was written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, and published in 1999.
Whose Book Is The Cat in the Hat?
The Cat in the Hat was written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss, the pen name of Theodor Seuss Geisel, and published in 1957.
Whose Book Is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was written by British author Roald Dahl and first published in 1964.
Whose Books Are The Hunger Games?
The Hunger Games series was written by American author Suzanne Collins, beginning with the first novel in 2008.
Whose novel is Animal Farm?
Animal Farm was written by George Orwell, the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair, and published in 1945.
Whose epic poem is the Iliad?
The Iliad is traditionally attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer and was probably composed in the 8th century BCE.
Whose poem is the Divine Comedy?
The Divine Comedy is an epic poem by the Italian poet Dante Alighieri, completed shortly before his death in 1321.
Whose book is The Jungle Book?
The Jungle Book was written by British author Rudyard Kipling and published in 1894.
Whose novel is Robinson Crusoe?
Robinson Crusoe was written by English author Daniel Defoe and published in 1719; it is often called one of the first English novels.
Whose novel is Les Misérables?
Les Misérables is a novel by the French writer Victor Hugo, published in 1862.
Whose poem is The Raven?
The Raven is a narrative poem by the American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in January 1845.
Whose epic poem is Paradise Lost?
Paradise Lost is an epic poem by the English poet John Milton, first published in 1667.
Whose work is The Canterbury Tales?
The Canterbury Tales was written by the English poet Geoffrey Chaucer in the late 14th century.
What is a bard?
A bard is a poet, storyteller, or singer, especially in ancient Celtic traditions. Bards preserved history, genealogy, and heroic tales through oral performance.
Whose creation is Sherlock Holmes?
Sherlock Holmes was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The detective first appeared in A Study in Scarlet in 1887.
What was the Epic of Gilgamesh?
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient Mesopotamian poem about a king’s adventures, friendship, and search for immortality. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature.