ANTHOLOGIES

New Worlds: The 2013 Girls Write Now Anthology

In this anthology celebrating 15 years of intergenerational connection, the Girls Write Now mentors and mentees of yesteryear offer a unique window into the artistic spirit of 2013. Dive into what these community members have to say below.

New Worlds anthology cover 2013
New Worlds anthology cover 2013

In tune with this year’s curricular theme, New Worlds: the Girls Write Now 2013 Anthology is composed of stories that celebrate the incredible diversity and creative fearlessness of our intergenerational community, showcasing poetry, fiction, memoir and more that surprise us and stretch our understanding of the world and ourselves.

Support Young Writers

Get a copy of the Girls Write Now 2013 Anthology: “New Worlds” to support our mission to champion writers to break down the barriers of gender, age, race, and poverty to mentor, teach, and connect writers and leaders across disciplines and around the nation. With a focus on those historically disempowered due to their gender and gender identity, we harness the power of stories to shape culture, impact industries, and bridge worlds.
Reading from the 2024 Anthology Launch Party

Foreword by

Adele Griffin

Honoree

Adele Griffin is a New Yorker who enjoys living in Los Angeles even if never snows here. She is the author of many books for new and young people. The Favor (June 2023) is her first book for older people. She loves pull-quotes, bakery cakes, and writing about herself in third person. Find her on Instagram at @adelegriffin or adelegriffin.com for big surprises (okay, no surprises, but that's where you can find more bio and the book list).

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Read What's Inside

Browse our collection of stories from inside the book. Complete with notes from the author and anecdotes from our mentees and mentors.

Stories from Inside "New Worlds"

Stories from Inside "New Worlds"

Changed Lives

My podcast is about immigration and how it affects families. This episode sheds light on the difficult lives immigrants lead. My life as an immigrant inspired me to share this. This represents my best work in the program because this is a topic that I can relate to. I don't know what it's like to be separated from one’s family, but I can imagine how challenging it would be.

Times Square as My Backyard

I was born and raised in Manhattan, which has given me such an interesting and unique perspective on life. I have always wanted to document all my life experiences in a way where I can share my stories with everyone, and a podcast seemed like the perfect vehicle! A couple of months ago, Leela, my mentor, went to a Girls Write Now workshop and told me all about Anchor. Anchor became a place to record and publish all my interesting conversations with my friends! As I was recording my trailer for my podcast, I was surprised by the number of times I had to re-record it! As a perfectionist, I felt the need to restart every time I stumbled over a word. Eventually, I managed to record something I was proud of, trimmed the audio, and added music.

Miss Rona & Me

In quarantine, my mind can't help but gravitate back toward life outside: when I was undeniably happy. I pick out these little moments, and then I remember everything going on inside my head then. What I was feeling, and exactly why I was really happy. In this instance, I remembered a walk I took after school one day, past Trinity Church on a crowded street. This collision between a colonial past and the skyscrapers towering above me was exciting, so I wrote a little something about that feeling. Then I spoke, giving new life to these words.

My High School Experience: in the context of Girls Write Now

Why do college admissions view a holistic picture of a candidate's eligibility? Why is "contextualization" a key part of the College Board’s grading in AP History tests? Why do people say "you shouldn't judge a book by its cover?" As writers or friends of writing, we value narrative. But more important than narrative is understanding it in the context of every other thread of narrative occurring simultaneously. As the one program that followed me through all four years of high school, Girls Write Now has the unique ability to measure my growth in the context of the rest of my high school life. My digital media piece is inspired by this.

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Girls Write Now 2023 Anthology

Praise for New Worlds

From the Literary Community

“To write from the heart is to illuminate one’s existence against many kinds of darkness. These young writers are going deep, feeling hard, self-defining what has as yet no public face. What a refreshment to me as an older writer. To feel what is so true, so real, so liberating in this work. After all, it is the hard on freedom we gain ourselves that is truly our own.”
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Alice Walker Author
“It’s not easy being a woman of color in this world. But I write because I still have hope that things can be changed. Whenever I falter, I look over my shoulder and see the next generation of women writers rising — I hear the bold voices of these brilliant young women and I forge ahead knowing the change we need is already underway.”
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Zetta Elliot Author

Intersectional Voices in Editorial Print Committee

Every year, the Intersectional Voices in Editorial (IV Edit) Print Committee brings their talents to the task of editing, producing, and promoting this fresh collection of writing from today’s emerging voices. The committee is made up of mentors, mentees, and other volunteers who are passionate about diversifying the publishing landscape.