Questions are turning to the Nobel literary award and who will get it this year. There is talk of J.K Rowling being awarded this highly regarded prize, but of course there is debate …
In his will Alfred Nobel wanted the Literature award to go to “to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction.” This phrase is not clear, and what exactly does “ideal direction” mean? But rumors are circulating that J.K Rowling might be in the running… “After all what living author has inspired more people to read and more love of reading than J.K. Rowling?”
Put the artistic imperative aside for the moment and consider this: she is the formative writer for millions and millions of children. She doesn’t write great sentences, and it would be hard to argue that the subject matter is hugely important. But the questions, characters, stories, and values in her work have resonated with the world.
I’m not the biggest Harry Potter fan around, but I actually do feel like J.K Rowling does epitomize what the Nobel Literary prize embodies. Regardless of who likes her style of writing or genre, she has certainly created a body of work (books, movies and more) that has generated a massive cult following, a genre and style of its own, and its own “ideal direction”, and her work has totally “resonated with the world” like it or not… if she wins this year I for one will be a big supporter.
I genuinely believe that she has done more for literacy than any other author of this generation. I can say for certain that I would not be an avid reader or be studying English righ now if it wasn’t for those books. If that doesn’t deserve a Nobel Prize, I don’t know what does!
I co-sign. JK Rowling has made a tremendous literacy impact on generations.
I agree, she deserves it not for the writing as much as for her amazing imagination as well as the impact of the book in many ways.
I read HP Series 10 years ago and my friends laugh at me when i keep saying that Harry Potter has impacted my life immensely…don’t know what would I have done with out it!
This should be a no brainier…JK should win this award hands down. It was a series of books that sparked the imagination of young/old/and older reader alike. I for one am currently listening to the audio books. Whenever one of her movies comes on TV, I have to stop and watch it for the 1000th time. I study the movie waiting to catch a glimpse of something I may have miss in the past. A cheer, laugh, cry at parts of the movie I knew was going to happen. It is crazy but she has made a huge impact on my life as well.
Honestly, the mark of a great writer is one that can touch the literary lives of the young, old, female, male, and everyone in between. If the writer compels the desire to pick up her book and read instead of watch television or play video games, then it is worth it’s weight in gold and the author should be applauded. This is the book that propelled my son from a troubled reader to one of the top in his class. It was his desire to read about the world J.K. had created and lose himself in her characters that pushed him to become an avid reader. I, for one, am eternally grateful to her.