Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

JK Rowling to Speak at Harvard Commencement

Hogwarts creator will get honorary degree

By Lucas Laursen, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 18, 2008 4:54 AM CST

(Newser) – Harvard students will get a Hogwarts send-off at their spring commencement this year, reports the Crimson, with Harry Potter author JK Rowling as the keynote speaker. "Perhaps no one in our time has done more than JK Rowling to inspire young people to... Read full story »

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

You need to Log in to Newser to comment. Don't have an account yet? Sign up now!

There are no comments

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Cops Shoot Naked Guy Eating Man's Face on Highway

Japanese Artist Serves Up Own Cooked Genitals

Harvard Crimson (Source Grid »)

Rowling
Wikipedia

Harvard's Commencement site (still showing 2007 material)
Harvard University

Entertainment • US

Harry Potter • JK Rowling • reading • author • book • Harvard • Harvard Crimson • Hogwarts • commencement speech

More Newser Stories

Meyer: the New JK Rowling

Vampire author gaining on Rowling's popularity

(NEWSER) - Have we finally found the next JK Rowling? Even Brits are starting to admit Twilight creator Stephenie Meyer is coming close, the Daily Telegraph reports. The 34-year-old Mormon author of a series of swoon-worthy novels about teen vampires has a similar “out of nowhere” story, and her book and movie sales are starting to give Harry, if not a run for his money, at least cause for concern. More»

Rowling Casts Spell at Harvard

Fight the monsters, she urges

(NEWSER) - Harry Potter birth mom JK Rowling yesterday urged Harvard graduates at their commencement to use their imaginations on more than wizards and muggles to envision—and create—a better world. She recalled the rewarding time she spent when she was younger working for prisoners of totalitarian regimes for Amnesty International. "Those who choose not to empathize" with people suffering "enable real monsters," she said. More»

Don't Get Comfy, Harry Potter

Dr. Seuss, EB White win popularity contest over Rowling

(NEWSER) - Both are fantasists who've sold zillions of books, but in a recent poll of American children, the classic wins out: Dr. Seuss' works are more popular than JK Rowling's. Three million-plus kids weighed in on an educational software company's website, and Rowling's Harry Potter books trail works by EB White, Judy Blume, and Harper Lee, among others, the Washington Post reports. More»

Harry Potter and the Murdered Heiress?

Rumor has JK Rowling writing crime novel

(NEWSER) - J.K. Rowling has been spotted writing something in an Edinburgh cafe like the one where she penned the first Harry Potter book, and fellow author Ian Rankin says she's moving in on his territory—crime fiction. Rankin admits he hasn't personally talked to Rowling about her next project; it was his wife who saw her "scribbling away." More»

Dumbledore Sparks Fight for Real-World Justice

Nonprofit Harry Potter Alliance uses books as inspiration

(NEWSER) - Harry Potter’s battle against injustice in the wizarding world has prompted fans to take the fight to the Muggle universe, the Los Angeles Times reports. Inspired by moral teachings of Albus Dumbledore, Harry’s mentor, the nonprofit Harry Potter Alliance has registered voters, collected some 13,000 books to donate to community centers, and raised $15,000 for displaced persons in Darfur and Burma. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

JK Rowling to Speak at Harvard Commencement

Hogwarts creator will get honorary degree

Harry Potter • JK Rowling • reading • author • book • Harvard • Harvard Crimson • Hogwarts • commencement speech

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Meyer: the New JK Rowling

Vampire author gaining on Rowling's popularity

Rowling Casts Spell at Harvard

Fight the monsters, she urges

Don't Get Comfy, Harry Potter

Dr. Seuss, EB White win popularity contest over Rowling

Harry Potter and the Murdered Heiress?

Rumor has JK Rowling writing crime novel

Dumbledore Sparks Fight for Real-World Justice

Nonprofit Harry Potter Alliance uses books as inspiration

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?