J.K. Rowling up for first adult book prize

LONDON, Jan. 14 (UPI) -- Author J.K. Rowling, known for her children's book series, "Harry Potter," has been nominated for the first time for a British adult book prize.

Rowling's latest book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," was selected Tuesday as a finalist for the fiction section of the W.H. Smith book awards, The Guardian reported Wednesday.

"The fiction award usually excludes children's fiction but 'The Order of the Phoenix' was regarded as more of an adult book than the earlier 'Harry Potters,'" said a W.H. Smith spokeswoman, noting that the themes of isolation and death for a teenage Harry made the novel eligible.

Two members of the public and a celebrity select the finalists, with no literary specialists on the panel. This year's celebrity for the fiction category was TV actor Robson Green.

Winners are selected by the public through in-store and online voting.

Rowling is competing against "Dancer" by Colum McCann, Ian Rankin's "A Question of Blood," the horror writer James Herbert's "Nobody True," and "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon.