JK Rowling:
It is hard to think of a more powerful female figure to have emerged from Scotland in the past decade than JK Rowling. In 2000, Rowling was cementing her position as the world’s most popular children’s author with her fourth Harry Potter book, which broke all literary sales records in both the US and the UK. By 2007, Forbes magazine had ranked her the 48th most powerful celebrity in the world – not just for her enormous impact on child literacy but for her philanthropic work. Her Volant Charitable Trust funds disadvantaged children and MS research. She is a vocal president of One Parent Families, and successfully campaigned for a law change in Romania concerning caged beds for orphans. Whatever she turns her hand to, Rowling has proved she is capable of effecting real change on a global scale.

Source: here & here

So, a little while back, on the 12th, Jo presented an award at The British Comedy Awards Show held in London. We now have photos and a video from this event. We will keep our eyes out for more!

[02x] – The British Comedy Awards Show
[04x] – The British Comedy Awards Show – Stage

Amazon.co.uk has put together a list of their 10 best-selling books and authors of the decade and Harry Potter and Jo are included!

Top 10 best-selling books of the decade:

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – JK Rowling
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – JK Rowling
3. Breaking Dawn – Stephenie Meyer
6. The Tales of Beedle the Bard – JK Rowling
7. New Moon – Stephenie Meyer
8. The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
9. The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
10. A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini

Top 10 best-selling authors of the decade:

1. JK Rowling
2. Stephenie Meyer
3. Julia Donaldson
4. Terry Pratchett
5. Jamie Oliver
6. Dan Brown
7. Enid Blyton
8. Bernard Cornwell
9. Alexander McCall Smith
10. William Shakespeare

Source.

J.K. Rowling has contributed to a celebrity hand display which will help raise funds for Tilly Lockey, a young girl who needs prosthetic limbs that will need replacing every year until she is 18.  The pictures and casts will go on display at Newcastle’sLife centre for one day and then will be put up for auction at an event on September 5th. The exhibit is free of charge.

Sarah Lockey said: “We have all of these wonderful quirky and unique drawings and hand casts created by celebrities to help us raise funds for Tilly. These will be auctioned at a dinner in September but we wanted to share them with as many people as possible before they become part of someone’s private collection.”

Thanks SS!

Yesterday, on on the College Jeopardy Championships there was a question who’s answer many of you should know.

Question: In 2009, she was valued at $1 billion by Forbes. Author! Author!
Answer: J.K. Rowling

Thanks Meg!

In a recent article in The Aberdeen Press and Journal,  a Scottish bookshop is auctioning a rare piece of Harry Potter memorabilia. A Harry Potter bookmark signed by J.K. Rowling (to a fan) has been donated to the Blythswood Care Bookshop and will be auctioned off to benefit the Christian charity store. Those interested must submit their bids by mail, since no online auction has been set up. Contact infomation for the Blythswood Care Bookshop is on there website. Good luck to all!

Thanks Snitch Seeker!

Craig Ferguson did a very interesting parody of Jo on his show last week. In the skit, Jo has a talk show called “JK” where she interviews Twilight author, Stephenie Meyer and completely bashes her.

Thanks  Snitch Seeker!

Back in April, Jo announced she was leaving her position on the MS Society Scotland (MSSS) after saying the charity was “changing beyond all recognition”. But what has the absence of Jo done to the charity? David McNiven tells all.

To have such a high-profile person associated with our organisation was a major advantage to us. Clearly, we were disappointed to lose that patronage.It will leave a hole for us, especially in our fundraising and profile, but we are endeavouring to find ways of resolving the situation, which won’t happen very quickly but plans are afoot to try to mitigate that issue. JK was clearly globally known and had substantial networks that were helpful. It is disappointing to the society, but we have to try to move forward and keep the focus on people with MS and their carers.

Source

This is a very special time of year for any Harry Potter fan. Today, July 31, Joanne Rowling and her beloved character, Harry Potter celebrate their birthdays! What would we do without you two!? Happy 44, Jo! May all your wishes come true!

“It’s important to remember that we all have magic inside of us.” — J. K. Rowling

P.S. Today is also Richard Griffiths birthday who plays Uncle Vernon in the films. Lots of Potter birthdays today, huh! We would like to extend our birthday wishes to Richard.

Recently IHOR told you about the one of a kind chair that was being auctioned off. If you recall it was the chair that Jo had sat in while she wrote HP 1 and HP 2. The Scotsman is now reporting that the auction has ended, with the chair being sold for a winning bid of 20,000 Pounds ($33,900). Can you believe that! The auction benefitted the Books Abroad charity.

It’s a chair you would pay a tenner for in a junk shop but, historically, it’s the most important chair in Muggledom, and probably one of the most exceptional and rare pieces of Harry Potter memorabilia ever likely to be offered for sale.

-Matthew Ford (the art dealer who organized the auction)

Thanks Leaky!