Book Quiz with 1st set of 10 questions about Genre

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Books Quiz - Genre - Autobiographies 1 (Questions)

Autobiographies are true life stories told by the person who lived them. This quiz explores how writers turn memories, experiences and turning points into powerful reading.

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Fascinating Fact:

The writer chooses what to include or leave out, so an autobiography is a personal interpretation, not just a list of facts.

In Specialist Books, this quiz explores autobiographies as a genre, where people tell the story of their own lives, shaping real experiences into a narrative that speaks directly to readers.

Key Terms

Autobiography: A book in which someone writes the story of their own life, usually in the first person.
Memoir: A kind of life writing that focuses on particular experiences, themes or periods rather than a whole life.
Ghostwriter: A professional writer who helps someone plan and write their life story, often without being named on the cover.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is an autobiography in literature?

An autobiography in literature is a true life story written by the person it is about, describing real events, people and places from that person’s own experience.

How is an autobiography different from a biography?

An autobiography is written by the subject about their own life, usually in the first person. A biography is written by someone else, often using research and interviews.

What makes a good autobiography interesting to read?

A good autobiography has a strong voice, clear structure and vivid detail. Readers look for reflection, emotion and a storyline that links key events in a meaningful way.

Try These Related Quizzes

Which Hollywood star published the autobiography The Moon's a Balloon in 1971?

[ ]	Stewart Granger
[ ]	Burt Lancaster
[ ]	David Niven
[ ]	Gregory Peck

Which former England footballer published the autobiography This One's On Me in 1979?

[ ]	Jimmy Greaves
[ ]	Geoff Hurst
[ ]	Bobby Moore
[ ]	Martin Peters

No Tears For The Clown, published in 1993, is the autobiography of which comedian?

[ ]	Billy Connolly
[ ]	Les Dawson
[ ]	Harry Enfield
[ ]	Ernie Wise

I Chose to Climb, first published in 1966, is the autobiography of which mountaineer?

[ ]	Chris Bonington
[ ]	Dougal Haston
[ ]	Doug Scott
[ ]	Don Whillans

Published in 2001, Learning to Fly is the autobiography of which ex-Spice Girl?

[ ]	Victoria Beckham
[ ]	Emma Bunton
[ ]	Melanie Chisholm
[ ]	Geri Halliwell

Which tennis star published the autobiography Serious in 2002?

[ ]	Roger Federer
[ ]	John McEnroe
[ ]	Andrew Murray
[ ]	Pete Sampras

Which former Prime Minister published the autobiography The Path to Power in 1995?

[ ]	James Callaghan
[ ]	Edward Heath
[ ]	John Major
[ ]	Margaret Thatcher

Which Marx Brother published the 1959 autobiography Groucho and Me?

[ ]	Chico
[ ]	Groucho
[ ]	Harpo
[ ]	Zeppo

The 1943 autobiography Bound for Glory was written by which American folk singer?

[ ]	Elizabeth Cotten
[ ]	Woody Guthrie
[ ]	Cisco Houston
[ ]	Pete Seeger

10.

Who wrote the autobiography The Story of my Experiments with Truth, published in two volumes, in 1927 and 1929?

[ ]	Marie Curie
[ ]	Albert Einstein
[ ]	Mahatma Gandhi
[ ]	Bertrand Russell

Books Quiz - Genre - Autobiographies 1 (Answers)

Which Hollywood star published the autobiography The Moon's a Balloon in 1971?

[ ]	Stewart Granger
[ ]	Burt Lancaster
[x]	David Niven
[ ]	Gregory Peck

The book is about Niven's early life. He wrote a sequel Bring on the Empty Horses three years later which covered the later years

Which former England footballer published the autobiography This One's On Me in 1979?

[x]	Jimmy Greaves
[ ]	Geoff Hurst
[ ]	Bobby Moore
[ ]	Martin Peters

The book covers his alcoholism. Greaves died on 19th September 2021, the date coinciding with the Premier League match between Spurs and Chelsea, the two main clubs he played for. A minute's applause was held in his honour

No Tears For The Clown, published in 1993, is the autobiography of which comedian?

[ ]	Billy Connolly
[x]	Les Dawson
[ ]	Harry Enfield
[ ]	Ernie Wise

The book came out just one year before Dawson's death

I Chose to Climb, first published in 1966, is the autobiography of which mountaineer?

[x]	Chris Bonington
[ ]	Dougal Haston
[ ]	Doug Scott
[ ]	Don Whillans

Bonnington's career saw nineteen trips to the Himalayas including four to Mount Everest. He was also the first person to climb the south face of Annapurna

Published in 2001, Learning to Fly is the autobiography of which ex-Spice Girl?

[x]	Victoria Beckham
[ ]	Emma Bunton
[ ]	Melanie Chisholm
[ ]	Geri Halliwell

In 2005 Beckham said: "I've never read a book in my life"

Which tennis star published the autobiography Serious in 2002?

[ ]	Roger Federer
[x]	John McEnroe
[ ]	Andrew Murray
[ ]	Pete Sampras

He can not be!

Which former Prime Minister published the autobiography The Path to Power in 1995?

[ ]	James Callaghan
[ ]	Edward Heath
[ ]	John Major
[x]	Margaret Thatcher

The majority of the book charts the years from her childhood to her becoming Prime Minister in 1979. The latter part of the book was a criticism of her successor John Major

Which Marx Brother published the 1959 autobiography Groucho and Me?

[ ]	Chico
[x]	Groucho
[ ]	Harpo
[ ]	Zeppo

Groucho claimed it was an unauthorised autobiography