What do J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, and William Golding have in common? Their famous books were initially rejected by publishers. Rowling’s work was eventually “saved” by an eight-year-old girl who found the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on her father’s desk. Her father was a publisher who let her read the first chapter of the manuscript…One hour later, she begged him to read more! King’s classic horror story Carrie was deemed “unsellable” because it dealt with a “negative utopia.” Golding’s masterpiece Lord of the Flies was called “an absurd and uninteresting fantasy.” These three books were not the only famous works to initially land in rejection piles. On display are many more, along with publishers’ rejection notes and authors’ reflections on rejection. The bottom line for any aspiring writer: Never give up! (MFV)