Writing is on the Wall—Answers

The first two questions focus on authors born on November 29th, while the remaining three questions maintain a literary theme but avoid that date.

One

Born in Belfast, Ireland (now Northern Ireland) in 1898, an author wrote a classic children’s literature series of seven fantasy novels published between 1950 and 1956. These novels are often referred to as a collective. Here are seven clues to the individual books in the series; each clue points to a single word in the relative title. They are listed in publication order (1 to 7):

1. Cat
2. A landlocked sea
3. Ship
4. A piece of furniture
5. Equus
6. A relative 
7. An engagement

What is the collective name of the series, and who is the author?

Answer: The Chronicles of Narnia; CS Lewis

For your information the seven clues and the individual books are as follows. NB. The word the clue referred to is in bold in each title.

1. Cat — The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
2. A landlocked sea — Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia 
3. Ship — The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
4. A piece of furniture — The Silver Chair
5. Equus — The Horse and His Boy
6. A relative — The Magician’s Nephew
7. An engagement — The Last Battle

The author was close friends with JRR Tolkien, and the two belonged to an informal Oxford literary group known as the Inklings, where they often read drafts of their work aloud for critique.

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Two

An American author born in Germantown, Pennsylvania on this day in 1832, moved to Boston, Massachusetts in her infancy. She’s best known for her children’s book first published in 1868. Though its two-word title is widely recognised, it was originally published with the subtitle ‘Or Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy’. Who is this author and what is the title of her book?

Answer: Louisa May Alcott; Little Women

Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888) was an American novelist, best known for Little Women and its sequels. Raised in New England, she was influenced by transcendentalist intellectuals and began writing at a young age. Alcott was an abolitionist, feminist, and active in reform movements, and her life and work have been widely celebrated. Little Women, a coming-of-age novel, follows the March sisters’ journey from childhood to womanhood. It is considered autobiographical or at least partially autobiographical.

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Three

Which American author and adventurer wrote The Call of the Wild (1903) and White Fang (1906), novels inspired by his experiences in the Klondike Gold Rush?

Answer: Jack London

Jack London (1876–1916) was one of the first American authors to become a worldwide celebrity. A pioneer of commercial magazine fiction, he was also a political activist and an early advocate of animal welfare. His rugged adventure stories drew heavily on his own harsh experiences working as an oyster pirate, sailor, and prospector. The Call of the Wild was an immediate success and remains one of the most widely read American novels.

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Four

What British crime novelist created detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, and is often referred to as the ‘Queen of Mystery’?

Answer: Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie (1890–1976) is the best-selling novelist of all time, with her works having sold billions of copies worldwide. Her play The Mousetrap holds the record as the longest-running play in history. Christie also wrote several novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. Her intricate plots and surprise twists have made her a foundational figure in detective fiction, influencing countless writers.

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Five

A poet born in Saint Louis, Missouri, wrote the iconic poem Because I could not stop for Death and is now regarded as one of the most important figures in American literature. Who is she?

Answer: Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson (1830–1886) wrote nearly 1,800 poems, though fewer than a dozen were published during her lifetime—and those often heavily edited. Known for her distinctive dashes, unconventional capitalization, and compressed style, Dickinson lived much of her life in reclusion. After her death, her sister Lavinia discovered her vast collection of handwritten poems, leading to the posthumous publications that secured her literary legacy.

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