Who has written the Booker Prize winning Nigerian novel "The Famished Road"?

Introduction / Context:

This question examines your knowledge of world literature, particularly major prize winning novels. "The Famished Road" is a well known magical realist novel set in Nigeria and is closely associated with the Booker Prize. Being able to link such novels with their authors is a standard requirement in competitive exams and general knowledge tests.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The novel in question is "The Famished Road".

• It is described as a Booker Prize winning work set in Nigeria.

• The options include four writers: Emile Zola, V. S. Naipaul, Ben Okri, and Dinmani.

• We assume the question refers to the famous Booker Prize winning novel published in the early nineteen nineties.

Concept / Approach:

The strategy is to connect the novel's style and context with the correct author. "The Famished Road" belongs to the tradition of African literary fiction and magical realism. Ben Okri, a Nigerian writer, is best known for this book. The other authors, although prominent, are linked to different national and thematic contexts. This is a classic matching exercise of authors and their celebrated works.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

A quick verification can be done by consulting lists of Booker Prize winners, which clearly show Ben Okri as the author of "The Famished Road". Literary guides to African fiction also consistently associate this title with him. None of the other options are ever cited as authors of this novel, confirming that your identification is accurate.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Emile Zola was a nineteenth century French writer whose notable works include "Germinal" and "Nana"; he did not write "The Famished Road".

V. S. Naipaul was a Trinidadian born British writer known for works like "A House for Mr Biswas" and "In a Free State", not this Nigerian magical realist novel.

Dinmani is not associated in standard literary references as the author of "The Famished Road" and is likely included as a distractor.

Common Pitfalls:

Students may be tempted to choose V. S. Naipaul simply because he is a Nobel laureate and very famous. Another common error is to ignore the geographical clue about Nigeria and pick a European author by guesswork. Always pay attention to contextual hints such as country, style, and prize when matching novels to authors.

Final Answer:

The novel "The Famished Road" was written by Ben Okri.