Rowling has agreed to accept a new award for those "whose outstanding achievements have brought honor to Edinburgh," The Scotsman reports. The award was created two years ago and its first recipient, last year, was Ian Rankin, author of the Inspector Rebus mystery series which, unlike Harry Potter, is set in Edinburgh.

City officials expect the award event for Rowling to be the biggest Edinburgh has seen since Sean Connery received the freedom of the city in 1991.

Rowling, divorced, broke and a single mother when she began the Potter books, has created a worldwide phenomenon that has made her a multimillionaire.

"It should be a fantastic occasion," a city government source told The Scotsman. "We're trying to ensure as many other Edinburgh people who have won major awards over the year will be there so they can share in the occasion."