JK Rowling was denied Presidential award because George Bush believed Harry Potter 'encouraged witchcraft'



JK Rowling lost out on the U.S.'s highest civilian honour because members of the Bush administration objected to the author's perceived promotion of sorcery, a new book claims.

Matt Latimer, a former speech writer for George W Bush, states in Speechless: Tales Of A White House Survivor that as a result her name was not included amongst those receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The award acknowledges contributions to the U.S. national interest, world peace or cultural endeavours.

Denied: A new book, Speechless, Tales Of A White House Survivor, claims that JK Rowling was denied a prestigious presidential award under George Bush's administration because he believed she 'encouraged witchcraft'



In one of his last acts as head of state, Mr Bush gave the medal to former British prime minister Tony Blair. President Barack Obama recently bestowed the honour on physicist Stephen Hawking, among others.

But according to Mr Latimer's new book, plans for Ms Rowling to receive the Medal of Freedom were nipped in the bud by officials in the previous administration.

He claims that the White House politicised the honour under the Bush regime.

In Speechless, Latimer writes that 'narrow thinking' led 'people in the White House to actually object to giving the author J K Rowling a presidential medal because the Harry Potter books encourage witchcraft'.

Others denied the privilege under the Bush administration included Senator Edward Kennedy.

The veteran politician and health care activist was excluded because he was deemed to be too liberal, it is alleged in Speechless. In August, Mr Obama awarded the medal to Mr Kennedy just days before he died of cancer aged 77.

JK Rowling's alleged exclusion is not the first example of her writing coming into conflict with the American right.

In 2007, Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly hit out at the author for announcing that Harry Potter character Dumbledore was gay.

He called her a 'provocateur' adding that the outing of Dumbledore was part of a liberal 'indoctrination' of children.