ANTHOLOGIES
Rise Speak Change: The 2017 Girls Write Now Anthology
At the QWERTY Digital Media Exhibition, our mentees showcased projects that are changing the way we tell narratives. A video overlaid with powerful poetry, thoughtful podcasts, and interactive games created with Twine — our mentees used the skills they learned in our digital workshops to create these multi-platform masterpieces.

Our mentees are defining the digital age by bringing the craft of writing into the 21st century. In our Digital Media Mentoring Program, we boost girls’ tech savvy and creative potential through digital media. In bringing our curriculum and writing approach into the digital age, we prepare the girls we serve to truly be the next generation of writers—on whatever platform they choose. Students are paired one-to-one with a digital media professional and together they transform their writing into digital art. All workshops are facilitated by graduate students at Parsons The New School for Design. Our workshops feature writing and digital skill-building exercises, prompts, and share-outs to diversify participants’ modes of self-expression. At the end of a program year, girls are equipped to tell a story in GIFs, a poem in HTML, and take their words to the next level.Together we embark on a journey of creative workshops, public readings and showcases, opportunities for publication, and more, all to give girls the tools to advance their writing through different mediums.
Introduction by
Foreword by
Moderated by
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 "Rise Speak Change" Coming Soon!
Stories from Inside "Rise Speak Change" Coming Soon!
Writing Our Way to Wellness: Season 1, Episode 9
Special Projects Coordinator Kathryn Destin moderates a conversation between Girls Write Now Mentor Ashley Sowers and friend Dr. Ijeoma Unachukwu about the taboo of practicing mental wellness in the Black community and the inequities the healthcare system enforces in its practices. They also explore the presence of misogynoir in professional spaces that view Black women as disposable and undeserving of wellness.
Writing Our Way to Wellness: Season 1, Episode 8
In this episode led by Margery Hannah, program manager at Girls Write Now, Michael gets candid about the meager gains of racial minorities in publishing and what can be done to accelerate progress. Listen to an excerpt from their conversation in this episode of Writing Our Way to Wellness, which covers Michael’s meandering career path from flight school dropout to a publishing professional at Writer’s House, how Michael and Margery have seen the publishing industry change (and remain stagnant), and whether affinity-focused imprints are the sole solution to producing diverse stories.
The House
"The House" is a narrative essay I wrote about family and growing closer to them.
blooming through two cities
Daniela and Shoilee both live in New York City. Shoilee grew up in Queens, and Daniela moved to Brooklyn after growing up in Chicago. The following poems depict their journeys of life in the city.
Stories from Venice
Last summer, I went on a two-and-a-half-week trip throughout Italy with my cousin and grandma. Our visit to Venice was particularly memorable and so I've highlighted some moments from that trip here.
And The Lightning Strikes
He was like home to me. I wasn’t ready to let him go.
Swinging into Cycles at Sunset Park
Inspired by the experiences I had in a park I’ve been going to since childhood.
Chasing Happiness
After a devastating accident, Felicity joins a support group where she meets Tyler, a boy with a secret, and possibly the key to her recovery.
In the living room
In my family's living room, I reminisce about an old music machine and its feeling that I took for granted.
Rich Ghost Town
I knew this place like the back of my hand…
Praise for Rise Speak Change
From the Literary Community
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.