20+ GK Questions And Answers On Famous Indian Books And Authors

Last Updated: Jun 30, 2026, 20:05 IST

Test your literary knowledge with this ultimate GK quiz on famous Indian authors and their masterpieces Discover the iconic writers who shaped the diverse world of Indian literature, from ancient classics to modern bestsellers.

20+ GK Questions And Answers On Famous Indian Books And Authors
20+ GK Questions And Answers On Famous Indian Books And Authors

Do you remember reading a book and losing all sense of time? Isn't reading just magical? Many famous names, such as Ruskin Bond, have written more than 500 stories and essays, and some contemporary writers, such as Dr Sanjeev Kumar, have broken records with more than 290 published books. However, can you answer these basic questions on Indian literature? Let's check how many you answer correctly before we go to the GK quiz given below. Let’s begin our GK quiz with interesting questions and answers.

GK Quiz on Famous Indian Books and Authors

Here are 20+ important MCQ questions that will help you excel in your General Knowledge exams.

Q1. Who wrote the famous historical book Discovery of India?

a) Mahatma Gandhi

b) Jawaharlal Nehru

c) Rabindranath Tagore

Ans.: b)

Explanation: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote this famous book when he was imprisoned by the British in Ahmednagar Fort. It talks about India's rich history and culture.

Q2. Which famous author created the fictional town named "Malgudi"?

a) R.K. Narayan

b) Ruskin Bond

c) Vikram Seth

Ans.: a)

Explanation: R.K. Narayan created the beautiful, imaginary South Indian town of Malgudi in his stories like Swami and Friends and Malgudi Days.

Q3. Who is the author of the famous book The God of Small Things?

a) Kiran Desai

b) Jhumpa Lahiri

c) Arundhati Roy

Ans.: c)

Explanation: Arundhati Roy wrote this novel, and she won the prestigious Booker Prize for it in the year 1997.

Q4. For which book did Rabindranath Tagore win the Nobel Prize in Literature?

a) Gora

b) Gitanjali

c) Ghare-Baire

Ans.: b)

Explanation: Tagore received the Nobel Prize in 1913 for Gitanjali, which is a beautiful collection of devotional poems.

Q5. Who is famously known as the Upanyas Samrat (King of Novels) in Hindi literature?

a) Munshi Premchand

b) Harivansh Rai Bachchan

c) Mahadevi Verma

Ans.: a)

Explanation: Munshi Premchand is called the King of Novels because he wrote highly relatable stories about common Indian people, like Godaan and Karmabhoomi.

Q6. The famous book Anandamath, which contains our national song Vande Mataram, was written by whom?

a) Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

b) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay

c) Rabindranath Tagore

Ans.: b)

Explanation: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandamath in the Bengali language, and it played a huge role in inspiring freedom fighters.

Q7. Who wrote the mythological fiction series The Shiva Trilogy?

a) Chetan Bhagat

b) Ashwin Sanghi

c) Amish Tripathi

Ans.: c)

Explanation: Amish Tripathi wrote The Shiva Trilogy, starting with The Immortals of Meluha, turning ancient myths into a modern fantasy adventure.

Q8. Which Indian leader wrote the book Hind Swaraj?

a) Subhas Chandra Bose

b) Mahatma Gandhi

c) Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Ans.: b)

Explanation: Mahatma Gandhi wrote Hind Swaraj in 1909 while travelling on a ship from London to South Africa. It explains his ideas on freedom and self-rule.

Q9. Who wrote the heart-warming children's novel The Blue Umbrella?

a) Ruskin Bond

b) Sudha Murty

c) R.K. Narayan

Ans.: a)

Explanation: Ruskin Bond, who lives in the hills of Mussoorie, wrote this sweet story about a little village girl named Binya and her beautiful umbrella.

Q10. Which author wrote the famous English novel A Suitable Boy?

a) Salman Rushdie

b) Vikram Seth

c) Amitav Ghosh

Ans.: b)

Explanation: Vikram Seth wrote A Suitable Boy, which is one of the longest and most loved family drama novels in Indian English literature.

Q11. Who is the author of the popular book Wise and Otherwise?

a) Kiran Bedi

b) Arundhati Roy

c) Sudha Murty

Ans.: c)

Explanation: Sudha Murty, a famous writer and philanthropist, wrote Wise and Otherwise, sharing real-life stories and lessons from her travels.

Q12. The famous historical play Abhijnanashakuntalam was written by which ancient Indian scholar?

a) Kalidasa

b) Tulsidas

c) Chanakya

Ans.: a)

Explanation: Kalidasa was a great Sanskrit poet and playwright who wrote the beautiful love story of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala.

Q13. Who wrote the famous ancient book on politics and economics called Arthashastra?

a) Aryabhata

b) Chanakya

c) Ved Vyas

Ans.: b)

Explanation: Chanakya (also known as Kautilya) wrote the Arthashastra, which served as a guide on how to run a kingdom successfully.

Q14. The book Train to Pakistan, which recounts the tragic events of the 1947 Partition, was written by whom?

a) Khushwant Singh

b) Mulk Raj Anand

c) Raja Rao

Ans.: a)

Explanation: Khushwant Singh wrote this powerful novel based on his personal experiences of the partition of India and Pakistan.

Q15. Who wrote the popular modern novel Five Point Someone?

a) Durjoy Datta

b) Chetan Bhagat

c) Ravinder Singh

Ans.: b)

Explanation: Chetan Bhagat wrote Five Point Someone, a story about three friends at IIT, which later inspired the superhit Bollywood movie 3 Idiots.

Q16. Which famous poet wrote Madhushala, a collection of deeply philosophical verses?

a) Harivansh Rai Bachchan

b) Gulzar

c) Javed Akhtar

Ans.: a)

Explanation: Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachchan wrote Madhushala in 1935, using the metaphor of a tavern and wine to explain life's deep truths.

Q17. Who wrote the classic epic poem Ramacharitamanas in the Awadhi language?

a) Valmiki

b) Tulsidas

c) Ved Vyas

Ans.: b)

Explanation: While Sage Valmiki wrote the original Ramayana in Sanskrit, Sant Tulsidas wrote Ramacharitamanas so that ordinary people could easily understand the story.

Q18. Which Indian author won the Booker Prize for her book The Inheritance of Loss?

a) Anita Desai

b) Kiran Desai

c) Jhumpa Lahiri

Ans.: b)

Explanation: Kiran Desai, who is the daughter of famous writer Anita Desai, won the Booker Prize in 2006 for this incredible novel.

Q19. Who wrote the famous collection of animal fables called the Panchatantra?

a) Vishnu Sharma

b) Narayana Pandit

c) Birbal

Ans.: a)

Explanation: Pandit Vishnu Sharma wrote the Panchatantra stories thousands of years ago to teach wise life lessons and political science to young princes.

Q20. Who is the author of the autobiography Playing It My Way?

a) Kapil Dev

b) Sourav Ganguly

c) Sachin Tendulkar

Ans.: c)

Explanation: Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar shared his amazing cricket journey, struggles, and successes in his official autobiography titled Playing It My Way.

Kriti Barua
Kriti Barua

Executive - Editorial

Kriti Barua is a skilled digital journalist and communications professional with 4+ years of experience, currently writing for the General Knowledge section at Jagran New Media. She has established herself as a subject matter expert in History, Geography, Trending National and International News, Sports, Science, and Defence, producing clear, reliable, and search-optimised content that connects with readers worldwide.
Kriti holds a BA degree from Delhi University and a one-year diploma in TV Production and Journalism, an academic background that adds research depth and strong storytelling instincts to her writing. Her experience spans brand writing, content marketing, and digital media, giving her a sharp understanding of what makes content both helpful to readers and visible in search.
At Jagran New Media, she applies this expertise to national and international news coverage, query-based articles, and in-depth pieces across her specialist subject areas. Her content is defined by easy language, factual accuracy, strong keyword strategy, and reader-friendly storytelling.

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First Published: Jun 30, 2026, 20:05 IST

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