Who is the only Pakistani to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, also known for her memoir 'I Am Malala'?
Answer:
Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 (shared with Kailash Satyarthi) for her struggle against the suppression of children and young people.
2
Which novel by Mohsin Hamid was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2007?
Answer:
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
This novel, a monologue delivered to an American in Lahore, catapulted Hamid to international fame and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
3
Kamila Shamsie won the prestigious Women's Prize for Fiction in 2018 for which novel?
Answer:
Home Fire
Home Fire is a modern reimagining of Sophocles' play 'Antigone' set among British Muslims.
4
Which Pakistani author won the inaugural DSC Prize for South Asian Literature in 2011?
Answer:
H.M. Naqvi
H.M. Naqvi won the prize for his debut novel 'Home Boy', which deals with the lives of young Pakistani men in New York after 9/11.
5
Mohammed Hanif's debut novel 'A Case of Exploding Mangoes' won which award in 2009?
Answer:
The Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Best First Book)
The novel is a satirical account of the plane crash that killed General Zia-ul-Haq.
6
Which legendary Urdu poet was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in 1962?
Answer:
Faiz Ahmed Faiz
Faiz was the first Asian poet to receive the Lenin Peace Prize, awarded by the Soviet Union.
7
In 2013, which Pakistani writer became a finalist for the Man Booker International Prize (for a body of work)?
Answer:
Intizar Hussain
Intizar Hussain was a celebrated Urdu writer known for his short stories and novels like 'Basti'; he was the first Pakistani to be a finalist for this award.
8
Daniyal Mueenuddin's short story collection 'In Other Rooms, Other Wonders' was a finalist for which major American award?
Answer:
The National Book Award
His collection, depicting the feudal structures of rural Pakistan, was a finalist for the 2009 National Book Award in the US.
9
Bapsi Sidhwa, a renowned Parsi-Pakistani author, received which German literature prize in 1991?
Answer:
LiBerature Prize
She received this award for her novel 'Cracking India' (also known as 'Ice-Candy Man').
10
Which novel by Nadeem Aslam was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2004?
Answer:
Maps for Lost Lovers
The novel explores the aftermath of an honor killing in a Pakistani immigrant community in England.
11
Uzma Aslam Khan's novel 'Trespassing' was shortlisted for which award in 2003?
Uzma Aslam Khan is a prominent voice in Pakistani English literature.
12
Which Pakistani journalist and author wrote 'The Bhutto Dynasty'?
Answer:
Owen Bennett-Jones
Note: While Fatima Bhutto wrote 'Songs of Blood and Sword', Owen Bennett-Jones wrote 'The Bhutto Dynasty'. However, Fatima Bhutto is a prominent Pakistani writer.
13
Mohsin Hamid's 'Exit West' was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in which year?
Answer:
2017
The novel uses the magical realism element of 'doors' to discuss the global refugee crisis.
14
Which award did the Pakistani poet Parveen Shakir receive for her contribution to literature?
Answer:
Pride of Performance
The Pride of Performance is one of the highest literary/artistic honors bestowed by the Government of Pakistan.
15
Bilal Tanweer won the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize for which novel?
Answer:
The Scatter Here Is Too Great
The novel deals with the impact of a bomb blast in Karachi through interconnected stories.
16
Musharraf Ali Farooqi was shortlisted for the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for which novel?
Answer:
Between Clay and Dust
The novel explores the fading culture of 'pehlwans' (wrestlers) and courtesans in Pakistan.
17
Who translated the epic 'The Adventures of Amir Hamza' into English, gaining international acclaim?
Answer:
Musharraf Ali Farooqi
His translation of the 'Dastan-e-Amir Hamza' took ten years and is considered a masterpiece of translation.
18
Kamila Shamsie's 'Burnt Shadows' was shortlisted for which prize?
Answer:
Orange Prize for Fiction
The Orange Prize (now Women's Prize) shortlisted 'Burnt Shadows' in 2009; she later won the award for 'Home Fire'.
19
Which book by Moni Mohsin gained popularity for its satire of Lahore's elite?
Answer:
The Diary of a Social Butterfly
The book originated as a column in The Friday Times.
20
Bapsi Sidhwa is largely credited with introducing which community to the global literary stage?
Answer:
The Parsis (Zoroastrians)
Her novels, like 'The Crow Eaters', humorously and poignantly depict Parsi life in Pakistan and India.
