Rowling’s Sixth Potter Novel Named ‘Book of the Year’ in U.K.

Proving that her boy wizard hasn’t lost his magic, J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” won the WHSmith Book of the Year prize at the 17th annual British Book Awards.

Alan Bennett, 71, the actor, author and playwright renowned for his deadpan wit, was named Reader’s Digest Author of the Year.

Rowling and Bennett were among a dozen authors to be honored at a swanky, televised dinner for 1,200 guests at London’s serene Grosvenor House hotel. Lauren Bacall, Richard E. Grant, and other book-loving celebrities presented the gold trophies, shaped like the nib of a fountain pen and giving the awards their nickname, the “Nibbies.”

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