J.K. Rowling was chosen as one of 10 Literacy Heroes through National Literacy Trust's UK-wide campaign, which included voting from fans and a panel including authors Joanna Trollope, Cressida Cowell and Dorothy Koomson, entrepreneur Levi Roots, actor, comedian and writer Miles Jupp, and columnist Lucy Mangan. The Harry Potter author was unable to attend the ceremony on Wednesday, but left this comment on her official Twitter about the accolade, which was given to those who impacted the community's reading and writing skills, or because they have overcome literacy problems of their own.

I'm sorry I can't be at the #literacyhero event @ClarenceHouse, and am very touched to have been nominated.

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 4, 2013

The other 9 included actor Henry Winkler, Oxfordshire pupil Jodie Evans, secondary school student Lisa Yong Hui Li, librarians Ruth Gasson and Lyn Hopson, teaching assistant Velda Jackson, Romany gypsy author Richard O'Neill, English teacher Caroline Thain and an unnamed prisoner from HMP The Mount who is involved with the Storybook Dads project.

The reception took place Wednesday at Clarence House by Duchess of Cornwall; this is the first year the award has been handed out.