On April 11th, 1998, having recently failed to scoop the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize for her debut novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, J. K. Rowling, responded to a young fan’s good luck wish with this handwritten letter:
Edinburgh
11th April 1998Dear Thomas,
Thank you very much indeed for your card wishing me luck in the Guardian Children’s Fiction competition. Unfortunately, I didn’t win — a writer called Henrietta Branford did. But she’s very nice, so I smiled bravely and said “Congratulations” and tried to look as though I didn’t mind at all.
I am very flattered indeed to hear that “Harry Potter” is the best book you have ever read. There will be seven Harry Potter books altogether, and the second one (“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”) will be in the shops at the start of July.,
Thank you again for writing. (Your handwriting is excellent, by the way).
Yours sincerely,
J. K. Rowling (Jo)
Letters of Note
