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"

A Year in the Life

High school is a new chapter in every adolescent’s life, and it can be terrifying. Especially if you do not know anyone or if you are going through some mental issues. I was in the same predicament as some of you and looking back, it would've been nice to get some friendly advice from someone my age. My podcast can hopefully help high school students make the best of their four years or look back on them with a smile on their face.

For The Culture: The Black Hair Edition

This is a trailer for a podcast episode that will tackle the appropriation of Black hair in America. Kim Kardashian, a woman of major influence, appropriated Black hair when she wore box braids and called them “boxer braids.” I found it so offensive that I wanted to explore it and open up a conversation about it. I wanted to dismantle the cultural significance that was being ignored— and potentially lost. This podcast was my chance to be truthful about what matters to me: the intersection of hair and my identity.

Fresh Kills Transformation

What was once the largest landfill in the world before closing in 2001 happens to be within my hometown and community of Staten Island. Since then, the landscape has been engineered to become the largest park in New York City. This landfill has greatly affected the health of those in my community. By conducting research to better understand the effects of the landfill on the climate and public health, I realized how my interests can merge and benefit public knowledge of this space. To have my voice heard beyond what can be accomplished in a social media post, I decided to write a script and assemble audio to create a podcast. Through this podcast, others can learn about benefits and concerns relating to the parks department-led engineering project.

In Good Sentences

It is currently 2020—57 years after Sylvia Plath’s death in 1963—and yet she is still one of the most widely discussed writers today. Plath is now stereotyped as the quintessence for the depressed teenage girl because she wrote poems about heartbreak and depression and died by suicide after hearing that her husband was unfaithful. But in reality, Plath was, and is, one of the few writers who was able to transform her dark emotions into beauty. And as one of the forefront writers of her conservative generation, she was also most definitely a feminist.

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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.