J.K. Rowling to Receive the PEN America Center’s Award for Free Speech

PEN America has announced that Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling will receive the 2016 PEN/Allen Foundation Literary Service Award from PEN America Center.

The PEN America Center describes themselves as, “working to ensure that people everywhere have the freedom to create literature, to convey information and ideas, to express their views, and to make it possible for everyone to access the views, ideas, and literatures of others.”

The PEN/Allen Foundation Literary Service Award is awarded to “critically acclaimed authors” whose works contain a message against oppression in any form, and strive to be an example for the good of humanity.

As said by Rowling herself, the Harry Potter series–which one cannot doubt holds much “critical acclaim”–embodies the themes of morality and mortality. There was even viral news about a recent study that showed that reading Harry Potter made people more open minded, empathetic and less prejudicial.

Rowling will be honored for her work with Harry Potter, as well as her defense of the freedom of expression and free flowing speech and ideas. The PEN Announcement states:

‘Since her rise from single mother to literary superstar, J.K. Rowling has used her talents and stature as a writer to fight inequality on both a local and global level. Her charitable trust, Volant, supports causes in the United Kingdom and abroad that alleviate social exclusion, with particular emphasis on women and children. In 2005 she founded Lumos, a nonprofit organization that works to help the eight million children institutionalized around the world regain their right to a family life. Herself the frequent object of censorship in schools and libraries across the globe, as well as online targeting, Rowling has emerged as a vocal proponent of free expression and access to literature and ideas for children, as well as incarcerated people, the learning-disabled, and women and girls worldwide.

“Through her writing, Rowling engenders imagination, empathy, humor, and a love of reading, along the way revealing moral choices that help us understand ourselves,” said author Andrew Solomon, president of PEN America. “Through their experiences with Rowling both on and off the page, countless children have learned not only the power of speaking their own minds, but the critical importance of hearing others. A gifted storyteller, fierce opponent of censorship, advocate for women’s and girls’ rights, and staunch defender of access to education, Rowling uses all of the tools at her disposal to create a better and more just world for our children.”‘

The PEN Awards have also released a list of other nominees. The entire announcement, list of awards and nominees can be read here. The awards will be presented at the PEN America Literary Gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York on May 16.