Literature – True/False – GK Questions

Published in 1942, 'Lihaaf' explored female sexuality and homosexuality, leading to an obscenity trial in Lahore which Chughtai successfully fought.

Instituted in 1991, the first Saraswati Samman was awarded to Harivansh Rai Bachchan for his four-volume autobiography.

Hardy set most of his major novels in Wessex, a semi-fictionalized representation of the south and west of England.

'Bang-e-Dara' was written primarily in Persian, though Iqbal is famous for his Urdu poetry as well. His later works like 'Bal-e-Jibril' are in Urdu/Persian.

'The Trial' (1925) is a hallmark of surrealism and bureaucratic nightmare, where Josef K. navigates an incomprehensible legal system.

'Toba Tek Singh' uses the setting of a lunatic asylum to highlight the madness of the Partition and the arbitrary drawing of borders.

Ashapoorna Devi was the first woman to win the Jnanpith Award (1976). Mahadevi Varma won it later in 1982.

Written in the 14th century, 'The Canterbury Tales' features a storytelling contest among a group of pilgrims traveling to Canterbury Cathedral.

Banabhatta, the court poet of Emperor Harsha, wrote 'Harshacharita' in the 7th century. It is a biographical account of Harsha's early life and rise to power.

While it primarily recognizes the 22 scheduled languages, the Sahitya Akademi also gives awards for English and Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, and other recognized languages not in the 8th Schedule.

Written in 1972, 'Ghashiram Kotwal' deals with political violence and hypocrisy. It caused significant controversy due to its depiction of the Brahmin elite of Pune.

The Natya Shastra is a foundational text for Indian classical dance, music, and theatre. It is traditionally attributed to Bharata Muni.

In 2019, the Crankstart Foundation became the new sponsor, and the prize reverted to its original name, 'The Booker Prize'.

Published in 1985, 'The Handmaid's Tale' depicts a totalitarian society built on the subjugation of women, following a Second American Civil War.

Aravind Adiga's 'The White Tiger' (2008) is structured as a letter/email written by the protagonist, Balram Halwai, to the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao over seven nights.

Formed in the 1930s, the Progressive Writers' Association aimed to use literature to highlight social inequalities and advocate for socialist ideals. Premchand and Mulk Raj Anand were key figures.

The Sahitya Akademi Fellowship (Immortals of Literature) is the highest literary honor in India, awarded for lifetime achievement, whereas the Akademi Award is for specific books.

Elias Lönnrot compiled the Kalevala in the 19th century from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology. It played a crucial role in the Finnish national awakening.

Brecht used the 'Verfremdungseffekt' (alienation effect) in his Epic Theatre to prevent the audience from losing themselves in the character and instead think critically about the social message.

U.R. Ananthamurthy was a pioneer of the Navya movement in Kannada literature, which focused on modernism and questioning traditional values.