To which writer will you give a prize?

You looked at a milky white landscape when Ann mentioned Nicholas Sparks. You heard suppressed giggles, as the author of "The Notebook" and "Message in a Bottle" won't be considered for serious study. This was supposed to be the time of the year when it was about to get warmer, but you don't sense spring to break out anytime soon. And then you recalled Sparks. He may be the best author of romantic novels, but an award would be another thing. Snobbery wasn't uncommon in publishing, and comparing authors would be unavoidable. It was unfair.

You were idling in your room hours later, without a deadline to beat. You thought about the lecture, Nicholas Sparks in particular. You didn't tell Ann about your reaction to her view. (She was being honest, unlike your snotty coursemates.) You tried to imagine Sparks in Stockholm, about to receive the Nobel Prize. But you couldn't. You were taught about other genres, even required to read other titles. And you have seen better works. This was your opinion, but you wondered which writer should be given a literary prize.

Shakespeare must be excluded, as he should be heading to the Hall of Fame. He may be in the same boat as Sparks, while he was under the service of Queen Elizabeth I. Most writers wouldn't know their worth until they were long gone, while the few were truly lucky. You wished you could be the one, but next term would be your last. (Better think of the coursework.) You think long and hard. It didn't take that long, though. Here they are:

J.K. Rowling. She may be remembered for Hogwarts, and she may not create another character as memorable as Harry Potter. You dismissed those suggestions that the Harry Potter novels were Rowling reimagining Earthsea. Nothing wrong there, as you could make it better. And she did. (The series became a bestseller). The critics loved it, so it would be more than enough.

Roald Dahl. Your mother was worried about your enthusiasm over Dahl's books at a young age. You never thought that there was a mean streak in his characters, as you wanted entertainment. And the author had lots in store for his readers. Perhaps you figured out how lucky you were, as Dahl's children were orphans. They could have cursed the heavens for not finding adults who truly cared about them, but Dahl knew a thing or two on divine retribution.

Rick Riordan. You could have picked Jules Verne, but you have been fascinated with mythology. How you wished you were the latest reincarnation of an Egyptian deity. (You could have been the perfect guardian of the Kane siblings.) And you would be one of those wizards who could help Summer Chase without thinking of anything in return. You almost forgot Percy Jackson. Riordan haven't thought of Hera's children. She doesn't seemed to be the one to play around, but it wasn't hard to imagine her loyalty to Zeus. You changed your mind after recalling what she did to those who succumbed to her husband's charm.