July 11 2010 (today)  is the 50th Anniversary of the publication of this beloved American classic.

To Kill a Mockingbird has sold more than sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, has been translated into more than forty languages and, of course, has been studied in schools for decades.

Its great success, however, meant that Harper Lee did not continue her career as a writer. According to her sister this was because: “She said she couldn’t top what she’s done,” remarked Alice Finch Lee. “She said, ‘I haven’t anywhere to go but down.'”  

Harper Lee is well known as one of the most reclusive authors ever, refusing to give interviews about her book for many, many years, and even refusing to write an introduction for new imprints of TKAMB.

That does not mean there isn’t any comment by others on the book – over time much has been written about this classic. And now, there are many web sites dedicated to this anniversary, including lots of different ways people can celebrate this amazing novel. One in particular, http://tokillamockingbird50year.com/ has a calendar of events starting from may this year.

Another site displays Best Tributes to To Kill a Mockingbird on Its 50th Anniversary, including a link to this video clip.

There are critics of TKAMB, however, as indicated at the beginning of Mockingbird hits false note, a recent article by Richard King in the Australian. (Well worth a read for those studying this classic.) Has he changed his mind by the end of the article?

Celebrate by reading it again, or enjoy it for the first time if you haven’t already read this classic!

Image source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mockingbirdfirst.JPG