NEW YORK (AP) – J.K. Rowling’s latest honor isn’t only for her writing.
The “Harry Potter” author is to receive the PEN/Allen Foundation Literary Service Award, PEN America told The Associated Press on Monday.
Rowling will be presented her award May 16 at the literary and human rights group’s annual spring gala in New York. Previous winners include Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie and Tim Stoppard.
In its announcement Monday, PEN cited Rowling’s advocacy for free expression; her founding of the charitable trust Volant, which supports multiple sclerosis research and other causes; and her nonprofit organization Lumos, which works to reconnect institutionalized children with their families.
“I’m deeply honored to receive this award and humbled that my work has been recognized as having moral value by an organization I so admire,” Rowling told the AP in a statement. “I’ve long been a supporter of PEN, which does invaluable work on behalf of imprisoned writers and in defense of freedom of speech.”