What was the name of J.K. Rowling’s 2008 Harvard commencement speech?

J.K. Rowling’s 2008 Harvard commencement speech was titled Very Good Lives.

Rowling delivered the speech at Harvard University’s 357th Commencement on 5 June 2008. She spoke about the benefits of failure and the importance of imagination, drawing on experiences before Harry Potter became a worldwide success. The address was later published as a short illustrated book called Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination.

The longer phrase “The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination” is the speech’s subtitle and central theme, not its short title. That distinction explains why the two names are often confused.

Proceeds from the book supported charity, including the Harvard University scholarship fund and Lumos. The published edition contains artwork by Joel Holland and was released in 2015, several years after the original speech.