Home » Culture & Society

Who is JKRowling: Award Winning Author

Ranked #4,932 in Culture & Society, #105,892 overall | Donates to Room to Read

Find out more about Jo Rowling's Awards

Joanne (Jo) Rowling has won a gazillion awards for the Harry Potter novels.  Do you think she should win the Nobel Prize in Literature?  Vote in my poll below.  (And find out about some of the other awards she has won.)

Update: The Swedish Academy for the Nobel Prize in Literature invites people to nominate candidates.  Since I am unlikely to get an invitation, our only hope to get Rowling nominated is to create enough publicity so the people that do at least consider her...

Table of Contents

  1. Timeline Part I
  2. Timeline Part II
  3. Timeline Part III
  4. Jo Rowling: Future Nobel Prize Winner?
  5. You Can Help!
  7. Why Should Rowling Win?
  8. Rowling News
  9. Other Harry Potter Lenses
  10. Disclaimer
  11. Dedication

Timeline Part I

Here is the timeline related to the Harry Potter publications and awards. This list is quite a bit longer than I expected... Maybe I'll take out the part about the asteroid!

I've decided to break it into three parts. Part I includes the dates related to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Sources:
Wikipedia
JKRowling.net
The Harry Potter Lexicon
  • 1990 While on a crowded train the idea for Harry Potter comes to Rowling.
  • 1995 She completes Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Christopher Little Literary Agents agrees to represent her. Twelve publishers turn her down.
  • August 1996 Bloomsbury agrees to publish. The editor Barry Cunningham advises Rowling to get a day job since children's authors don't make much money.
  • 1997 Scholastic Inc. pays $105,000 to publish in the US.
  • June 1997 Bloomsbury publishes Philosopher's Stone with an initial print-run of one thousand copies.
  • November 1997 Philosopher's Stone wins the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize.
  • February 1998 Philosopher's Stone wins the Children's Book of the Year Award at the prestigious British Book Awards.
  • June 1998 Philosopher's Stone wins the Children's Book Award.

Timeline Part II

The second timeline relates to the books up to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
  • July 1998 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is published by Bloomsbury and goes straight into the no.1 slot in BookTrack bestseller list.
  • October 1998 Scholastic publishes Philosopher's Stone in the US under the title of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
  • December 1998 Chamber of Secrets wins the Nestlé Smarties Gold Award. Rowling becomes the first author to win it two years in a row.
  • April 1999 Rowling wins The Booksellers Association Author of the Year Award.
  • June 1999 Chamber of Secrets wins one of the inaugural Scottish Arts Council Children's Book Awards.
  • 8th July 1999 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is published by Bloomsbury. It becomes the fastest selling book, with 64,000 being sold in the first 3 days.
  • December 1999 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban wins the Nestlé Smarties Gold Award. Rowling receives a special certificate to celebrate her winning of it three years in a row.
  • January 2000 Prisoner of Azkaban wins the Whitbread Children's Book of the Year award.
  • May 2000 Rowling wins the The Booksellers Association Author of the Year Award for the second year in a row.
  • June 2000 Queen Elizabeth II makes Rowling an officer of the Order of the British Empire.
  • 8th July 2000 Publication date of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. The book breaks all records to become the fastest selling book ever.
  • July 2000, the University of Exeter (of which Rowling is a graduate) awards her an honorary DLitt degree.
  • 2000 Wins Author of the Year from the Galaxy British Book Awards
  • May 2001 Goblet of Fire wins Scottish Arts Council Book Award.
  • June 2001 Goblet of Fire awarded the 2001 Children's Book Award.

Timeline Part III

Here is the rest of the timeline. (It is missing a few dates. Watch for updates.)
  • 21st June 2003 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix published in the UK and US.
  • July 2003 James Downey starts a campaign to nominate Jo for a Nobel Prize. Responses can be read here.
  • April 2006 The asteroid (43844) Rowling named in her honour.
  • June 2006 The British public name Rowling "the greatest living British writer" in a poll by The Book Magazine.
  • July 2006 Rowling receives a Doctor of Laws (LLD) honorary degree from University of Aberdeen for her "significant contribution to many charitable causes" and "her many contributions to society".
  • 1 February 2007 Rowling writes on a bust in her hotel room at the Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh that she had completed the seventh book in that room on 11 January 2007.
  • July 21, 2007 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is released and becomes the fastest-selling book of all time.

Jo Rowling: Future Nobel Prize Winner?

The Swedish Academy pays no attention to polls. But it's still fun to take them...

Loading poll. Please Wait...

You Can Help!

Did you vote yes? Here's how you can help:

1) Tell your friends about this site. Blog about it.

2) Raise the issue with your English Professors. Tell them why Jo should win.

3) Post a comment in the next module with your best reasons why she should win.

4) Make a blog entry stating why she should win.

5) Write a letter to the editor, etc.

6) (My opinion) DO NOT write the Swedish Academy nominating her.

They invite people to make nominations. I believe a million unsolicited letters would only annoy them. The key is to create enough publicity so the people that do get an invitation will consider her.

Inventas vitam juvat excoluisse per artes

Why Should Rowling Win?

The medal for the Nobel Prize in Literature says:
Inventas vitam juvat excoluisse per artes

which loosely translated is:
"And they who bettered life on earth by their newly found mastery."

Knowing this, why do you think Rowling should win the Nobel Prize?

Note: Mr. Hedman reserves the right to remove inane comments.

New Note: I thought it was obvious... I am NOT Jo Rowling, nor have I met or corresponded with her in any way.

  • Melissa Mar 11, 2012 @ 2:53 pm | delete
    she made children WANT to read...her books also allowed children, teens, and adults to bond
  • fireboltseeker Sep 19, 2011 @ 7:33 am | delete
    she has made a history. her novel was one of the kind.
  • javoniel trowers Jul 19, 2011 @ 12:14 am | delete
    the deathly hallows was a master piece, if she does not deserve the nobel prize for such true literature and creativity no one does. i stand by this hands down, she must be the greatest author alive now i guess
  • vermontmom May 11, 2011 @ 5:13 am | delete
    She has attracted young people and adults alike to read and the importance of this cannot be understated. When so many are illiterate (20% last I knew in this country!) it is critical to help more people - especially our youth - develop a true love of reading. I consider reading to my kids, and helping them learn to the wonder of books and reading, to be one of the greatest gifts I can give them. Jo Rowling has inspired countless others in the same direction!
  • Jenie Apr 5, 2011 @ 8:08 pm | delete
    SHE ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    HER BOOKS ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Doesnt that mean she should WIN?
    It makes sense to me.
  • stuhaynes Jan 14, 2011 @ 6:12 am | delete
    and it all started in a cafe over a cup of tea (the writing I mean)
  • KokoTravel Jan 9, 2011 @ 4:53 pm | delete
    Clearly has contributed to the society as we know it today.
  • JaguarJulie Oct 5, 2010 @ 4:59 pm | delete
    Such an amazing talent for story telling!
  • kt_glasses Sep 30, 2010 @ 1:56 am | delete
    Rowling is a talented writer, but Nobel Prize seems to be given to more serious writers.
  • platolucy Apr 12, 2010 @ 7:25 pm | delete
    I think she should win. Never before have I received such an inspiration for writing. I had always loved reading, but never knew what kind I liked; untill I read Harry Potter. Now I love reading more and more, and, thanks to her inspiration, will write my own book. Thank you J. K. Rowling, for changing my life. LOOK OUT FOR THE SERIES "JAMIE FARGO." thats the book I am writing.
  • Load More
Show All

Rowling News

Here is the latest news about Jo Rowling from HPANA.
Loading

Other Harry Potter Lenses

Here are some of the other lenses I've made about Harry Potter.
Loading

Disclaimer

I am not Jo Rowling. Nor do I have any connection with her. I am just a huge fan.

All copyrights and trademarks for the Harry Potter characters, names, and all other related stuff are owned by J. K. Rowling and the very nice people at Warner Bros.

Dedication

All of my Harry Potter lenses are dedicated to my sister, Kelly. After struggling for thirty years, she has lost her battle with the dementors.

In her memory I make a monthly donation to Room to Read from the proceeds from my Harry Potter lenses.

by

boredofeducation

Hello World!
I'm a Harry Potter fan that happens to teach math.
Please vote whether you think Jo Rowling should win the Nobel Prize in Literature and... more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

Explore related pages

Related Tags