It all first started when I was in college studying for my Political Science degree. On Summer and Winter breaks I would come home and her literature would be the focus of my sister’s life. The commotion across the country regarding the literature could be felt in the air. Everywhere, young ones were reading her books, and not only that, reading them at incredible speeds. People could not get enough of her stories.
At the time I reflected on my own voracious interest in reading prior to diving into the study of philosophy and how this applied to the international relations between countries, countries and people and individuals contributive impact upon culture. Reading books was a thing of mine growing up. Both my mother and late-father were constant readers, especially Dad. He always had a new book he was reading and was an avid customer of book stores. I had my book shelves lined with my own read books. I appreciated my read books like the football trophy’s I would win. They were like badges of honor for me and an important connection to my parents love of reading. As I entered college, or about that time, a new author had moved into the literary world and muscled her way into children’s literature in a way unheard of before. Her books were lengthy and big. They made there way onto my youngest sisters life and soon enough, Dad was in on it too. I didn’t understand the fascination. What was the big hoopla, after all. How was it possible that this author garnered so much hype and interest? I would warily eye the series of books. New ones by the same author would keep arriving into our house. What was going on? It was as if the author’s books were taking over the world and every other sentence spoken directly or indirectly mentioned them or alluded to them.
Eventually, the books came to life and were made into motion pictures and the world conquest of the story magic weaved was complete. As I think back to this female author’s contribution to literature, I see that she has done a great service to all kinds of human generations through her storytelling. She electrified book reading by youth and paved the way for scores of new readers to discover the wonderfulness of reading. Sounds silly, but it is far from it. Getting people interested in reading is no easy feat. Keeping them on-board is even harder. But this author did it and continues to do it. In this sense, she can be called a servant leader, because she has re-connected new generations of people to literature in a manner unheard and unknown of till now. The success of her books has been incredible. She even became a a billionaire due to her book and movie profits before giving much of it away to charity. English writer, J.K. Rowling’s contribution has not been one of entertaining the masses with stories, but one of reengaging youth with literature. It is because of her work that the children’s literary world has received an amplification of interest and this has certainly paved the way for continued reading by other authors beyond the literary world of children. Regardless of her personal goals with the books, the success of her stories has captured imaginations, directed them into far-flung recesses of adventure and re-established a joy of reading books.
Book reading has a calming effect on anyone, provokes thought and develops executive function skills, such as focus, sustained attention and goal-directed persistence. Moreover, reading is instructive and empathizes the relevancy of the written word as a powerful tool to reach people’s minds and hearts. J.K. Rowling’s service to the world has been one that has been on the leading edge of reawakening people to the love of reading and an appreciation of the role of authors as a worthwhile endeavor to pursue.
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