JK studied to be a teacher at one of the university's colleges and wrote lots of the Potter books in the city.

At the ceremony, the University described why they had awarded her with the honorary degree, calling her a publishing phenomenon.

"Receiving this honorary degree is a particular pleasure," said JK.

"To receive such a tribute from the city I now call home, and to be in such distinguished company, means a lot to me," she added.

Speaking straight after the ceremony, JK gave a little hint about what might happen in the last book. She was asked if Harry would graduate in Book VII . She paused before replying: "If I answer that I give quite a lot away, so I'm not going to!"

The University also said that they hoped that elements of JK's teacher training could be detected in the novels.

'Lupin motivates pupils'

Professor Pamela Munn said: "For example, Professor Lupin is a very effective teacher of Defence Against the Dark Arts because he motivates his pupils by allowing them to experiment thus forging a link between theory and practice."

JK has received several awards in the past, including an honorary degree from St. Andrews University in Scotland, and an OBE.