Which honor was J.K. Rowling appointed in the United Kingdom in 2001?

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 with several grades, including Member, Officer, Commander, and higher ranks. Rowling received the grade abbreviated OBE.

The honor was announced during the 2001 Birthday Honours. Rowling’s appointment came after the extraordinary international success of the Harry Potter novels, which had begun with The Philosopher’s Stone in 1997.

An OBE is not the same as a CBE or a damehood. Rowling later received other public honors, including the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award in 2010 and appointment as a Companion of Honour in 2017.