J.K. Rowling Harvard Commencement Speech | Harvard University Commencement 2008

Summary

In this commencement address, J.K. Rowling shares her reflections on the importance of failure and imagination. She recounts her own experiences, emphasizing how failure helped her strip away the inessential and focus on her true passions. Rowling also highlights the power of imagination, not just in creative endeavors but in empathizing with others and enacting change in the world. She encourages graduates to use their education and influence responsibly, while cherishing the enduring friendships formed during their academic journey.

Takeaways

• 📚 Harvard Square was transformed into Hogwarts Square for a celebration of the final Harry Potter book release.
• 🎉 The festival included themed specials, a three-hour concert, and people dressed as wizards, highlighting the cultural impact of the series.
• 📖 J.K. Rowling is recognized for her vast contributions to literature and her influence on readers through the Harry Potter series.
• 💡 Rowling emphasized the importance of imagination and the benefits of failure in her commencement speech at Harvard.
• 🎓 She reflected on her own failures, including poverty and an imploded marriage, which led her to focus on her writing.
• 💪 Failure, according to Rowling, strips away the inessential and helps one discover inner strength and resilience.
• 🌍 Rowling's experience at Amnesty International shaped her understanding of human empathy and the power of imagination.
• 👥 Empathy, she argues, is key to transforming the world, and imagination allows us to understand experiences beyond our own.
• 🧠 Rowling urges the graduates to use their education and influence to empathize with and aid the powerless.
• 💫 She concludes by wishing the graduates good lives, strong friendships, and the wisdom to value quality over quantity in life.

Q & A

What was the main event being celebrated in Harvard Square that summer?

The main event being celebrated was the midnight release of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,' the seventh and final installment in the Harry Potter series.

How did Harvard Square transform for the celebration?

Harvard Square was transformed into 'Hogwarts Square,' with people dressed in wizard costumes, stores staying open late with Harry Potter-themed specials, and a three-hour concert to cap off the evening.

Who was the speaker at the event, and why was she significant?

The speaker was J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. She is significant for her contributions to literature, her social, moral, and political inspiration, and her philanthropic efforts through the Volant Charitable Trust.

What were the two main themes of J.K. Rowling's speech?

The two main themes of J.K. Rowling's speech were the benefits of failure and the crucial importance of imagination.

Why did J.K. Rowling choose to speak about failure?

J.K. Rowling spoke about failure because it was a pivotal experience in her life that stripped away the inessential and allowed her to focus on what truly mattered to her, ultimately leading to her success.

How did J.K. Rowling describe her own experience with failure?

J.K. Rowling described her experience with failure as hitting rock bottom after her marriage imploded, becoming a lone parent, and being jobless and poor. However, she found that this failure allowed her to rebuild her life on a solid foundation.

What did J.K. Rowling say about the value of imagination?

J.K. Rowling emphasized that imagination is a uniquely human capacity that allows us to empathize with others and envision a better world. She also highlighted how it was crucial in her work at Amnesty International, where she witnessed the power of empathy and collective action.

How did J.K. Rowling's work at Amnesty International influence her view on human empathy?

Her work at Amnesty International, where she encountered stories of human suffering and resilience, deepened her understanding of the power of empathy and how it can lead to significant social change.

What lesson did J.K. Rowling convey about personal happiness?

J.K. Rowling conveyed that personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a checklist of achievements, but in understanding and accepting its complexities and uncertainties, which allows one to survive and thrive.

What final hope did J.K. Rowling express for the graduates?

J.K. Rowling expressed her hope that the graduates would form lifelong friendships, similar to those she formed during her own graduation, and that they would remember the importance of a life well-lived, rather than its length.