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J.K. Rowling named Runner-Up for Time's Person of the Year

J.K. Rowling
Posted by: Melissa
December 19, 2007, 08:06 AM

Time.com's Person of the Year (Vladimir Putin) was announced this morning. Though we knew JK Rowling was on the shortlist, the nominees have all been profiled on the magazine's Web site. J.K. Rowling's profile spans the whole phenomenon, the author's plans, and more.

The article also mentions the HP Alliance's summer podcast (as played on PotterCast), "Becoming Dumbledore's Army." The episode saw more than 100,000 downloads and, "In the days that followed, the student antigenocide coalition stand saw a 40% increase in sign-ups for high school chapters and a 52% increase in calls to its hotline, 1-800-GENOCIDE."

"When asked about the group, Rowling practically levitates off the couch, spilling her coffee along the way. "It's incredible, it's humbling, and it's uplifting to see people going out there and doing that in the name of your character," she says. She's especially pleased by the group's choice of mission, and the old Amnesty International worker in her surfaces. "What did my books preach against throughout? Bigotry, violence, struggles for power, no matter what. All of these things are happening in Darfur. So they really couldn't have chosen a better cause."

TIME has also put up a 10 Questions article in which we learn whom Draco married (more on this is also to be on the next PotterCast) and hear more about those who came from the Resurrection Stone, the epilogue, and more.

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Comments (53) | Average 301.5 (205 votes) Browse all Recent J.K. Rowling News
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Becca

I’m still annoyed about Putin winning. JO ALL THE WAY!

Oh well. I’ll buy the magazine anyway if this is in it.

Posted by Becca on December 19, 2007 @ 08:39 AM
crapemyrtle

Tonks! A Hufflepuff! I LOVE all the backstory!

Posted by crapemyrtle on December 19, 2007 @ 08:39 AM
Kaligaris

“(more on this is also to be on the next PotterCast)”

YES! I’m looking foward to hear more about everybody; everything actually, when it comes from Jo herself.

Posted by Kaligaris on December 19, 2007 @ 08:41 AM
Larry

I guess Putin affected my life more this past year than Rowling.

Posted by Larry on December 19, 2007 @ 08:44 AM
Tara

Congrats, Jo!

Posted by Tara on December 19, 2007 @ 08:44 AM
SideAlong

She said in the article that she has weak moments where she considers an 8th book, perhaps centered around someone other than Harry… I’m glad to know she hasn’t ruled out writing about the magical world completely! Maybe someday… Long Live Harry Potter!

Posted by SideAlong on December 19, 2007 @ 08:53 AM
Confederate Lady

I am never surprised by JKR. The interview, with Time, was full of heart-felt and often thought provoking things. I would have put her above Al Gore, but I think, that’s because I think he’s a putz. It really has nothing to do with JKR. She is and will always be a fantastic influence on the world. A good one! Congratulations, Jo! Can’t wait to hear more, from you, on PotterCast!

Posted by Confederate Lady on December 19, 2007 @ 08:57 AM
Alejandro Martinez

Nice, finally i know who is the wife of Draco xD BlogHogwarts.com

Posted by Alejandro Martinez on December 19, 2007 @ 09:08 AM
Fiz

Truth be told, I thought Al Gore should have gotten the prize. I’m still trying to remember if Putin did ANYTHING this year.

Having said that, hats off to Jo! TIME would probably never make her Person of the Year (hypothetical situation in the editors room: “What are we, Entertainment Weekly?”), but I feel third place is more than excellent, for me at least. Well, actually second place, knocking Putin away.

Posted by Fiz on December 19, 2007 @ 09:22 AM
Hannah

That’s strange… in Time, Jo says Ron works at F&G’s joke shop as an adult, put in the PotterCast, she said he went straight to the ministry with Harry to be an auror. Which one is it?

Posted by Hannah on December 19, 2007 @ 09:34 AM
sirochek

(I am from Russia!) OH MY GOD!!! Putin! the first place! he did nothing incredible! it is unfair! JOAN RULES!!

Posted by sirochek on December 19, 2007 @ 09:43 AM
Kelly

Hannah: She also said auror in the MSNBC interview.

Posted by Kelly on December 19, 2007 @ 09:48 AM
Kelly

ETA: At the top it says: In her interview with TIME and in webchats with fans, the Harry Potter author reveals a few more secrets

So TIME pulled the joke shop conclusion from the webchat with Bloomsbury.

Either way two out of three answers being auror, including the most recent one, that’s the one I take as canon. Plus, I like it far better.

Posted by Kelly on December 19, 2007 @ 09:50 AM
Kelly

ETA: At the top it says: In her interview with TIME and in webchats with fans, the Harry Potter author reveals a few more secrets

So TIME pulled the joke shop conclusion from the webchat with Bloomsbury.

Either way two out of three answers being auror, including the most recent one, that’s the one I take as canon. Plus, I like it far better.

Posted by Kelly on December 19, 2007 @ 09:50 AM
Gabriel Penn

Well done, Jo.. Don’t quite know about you guys, but I’m willing to wait 10 years for the Encyclopaedia.. The “Scottish Book” , as she’d say… =]

Posted by Gabriel Penn on December 19, 2007 @ 10:06 AM
Becca

Ron was both an auror and then worked in the joke shop, as Neville was an auror and then was a teacher at Hogwarts.

Posted by Becca on December 19, 2007 @ 10:08 AM
Sharon

I love Jo and she doesn’t need to be Time’s Person of the year. She already knows that she is all of our Person of our Lives. Who needs a magazine to tell them what they are!

Posted by Sharon on December 19, 2007 @ 10:15 AM
Gabriel Penn

Yeah, although Ron stayed as an Auror only till he was needed.. Say, after all the Death Eaters were rounded up, did the Auror Department have much of a job? Or did they just protect, in general??

Posted by Gabriel Penn on December 19, 2007 @ 10:16 AM
Kelly

Becca: Where’d you pull that conclusion from? In the MSNBC it said “Harry and Ron revolutionized the auror department” which doesn’t strike me as a temporary gig. She also spoke of his work as an auror in present tense.

“Harry and Ron utterly revolutionized the Auror Department,” Rowling said. “They are now the experts. It doesn’t matter how old they are or what else they’ve done.”

I saw it as the other way around- that he helped George get back on his feet at the joke shop and then went on to being an auror. She even answered with joke shop in reference to what they did right after Hogwarts.

But if she never mentions it again, I sort of see the joke shop as null. Maybe she just decided against it, realizing they’d need his help ASAP. I do like the idea of him helping out, but I really dislike the idea of him staying there permanently. The trio should be together, nothing else seems appropriate to me.

Posted by Kelly on December 19, 2007 @ 10:16 AM
Amy S

PUTIN? WHAT THE HELL! Jo did more this year. Ugh.

Posted by Amy S on December 19, 2007 @ 10:22 AM
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