Literature Trivia: Famous Books and Authors to Know

The books round rewards readers who know a little history alongside the stories. Here are 20 facts that appear again and again on quiz night.

Classic Novels

• William Shakespeare wrote around 37 plays and is often called the greatest writer in the English language.
• Don Quixote is frequently cited as one of the first modern novels.
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen opens with one of the most famous first lines in fiction.
• Charles Dickens published many of his novels in monthly instalments, keeping readers hooked between issues.

Authors & Pen Names

• The Brontë sisters first published under male-sounding pen names.
• J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series became one of the best-selling book series of all time.
• Agatha Christie is one of the best-selling novelists in history, famous for her detective mysteries.

Records & Firsts

• The Bible is the best-selling book of all time.
• The Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded each year for outstanding writing.
• Some of the world’s most translated books are children’s stories and fairy tales.

Keep a few of these in your back pocket and any books round becomes easy points. Fancy a challenge? Start a free Literature quiz and put your reading to the test.