Which order of the United Kingdom did J.K. Rowling receive an appointment to in 2001?

J.K. Rowling was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2001.

The appointment gave her the post-nominal letters OBE. It recognized her services to children’s literature, a field transformed by the international success of the Harry Potter books. Rowling received the honor in the 2001 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

An OBE is one grade within the Order of the British Empire, a British order of chivalry established in 1917. The order has several ranks, including Member, Officer, Commander, and higher grades. An OBE is therefore not the same as a knighthood or damehood.

Rowling’s appointment came before publication of the final Harry Potter novel. By that time, the series had already become a major international publishing phenomenon, with translations and film adaptations expanding its audience beyond the United Kingdom.