J.K. Rowling was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2001.
The appointment recognized her services to children's literature. The Order of the British Empire is a United Kingdom order of chivalry that honors contributions in areas including the arts, public service and charitable work. Rowling received the OBE after the early Harry Potter books had become an international publishing success.
The honor is sometimes confused with later awards and appointments in Rowling's biography. She received the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award in 2010 and became a Companion of Honour in 2017. Those are separate recognitions with different dates and titles.
Rowling's literary success had already brought major public attention by 2001, but her work also became associated with philanthropy. She later established the charity Lumos, which works to end the institutionalization of children. The OBE itself specifically relates to her services to children's literature.