ANTHOLOGIES
Ctrl + B: The Girls Write Now 2019 Anthology
Girls Write Now is thrilled to be in partnership with Dutton who produced this year’s anthology. This collection was also made possible thanks to a charitable contribution from Amazon Literary Partnership. Thank you to The Feminist Press and Jisu Kim, their Senior Marketing and Sales Manager and Girls Write Now mentor, for partnering on the e-book for Ctrl + B.

The Girls Write Now 2019 class of mentees, and young people the world over, are coming of age in strange times; times when the powers that be are attempting to strip our control over our art, our livelihoods, our homes, and our bodies. But these young writers are bold. In this unique collection, mentees and mentors boldly take control of their own narratives, tackling topics such as inequity, love, belonging, ignorance, power, lineage, beauty, and so much more.
Introduction by
Foreword 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 "CTRL + B" Coming Soon!
Stories from Inside "CTRL + B" Coming Soon!
Lineage
Climate change effects our whole planet. On the news we see the melting of the ice caps or the fires in Australia, but the impacts of global warming can be seen even throughout a city.
They think I can be a dang SUPERHERO?… Hollie Harper’s Life@GWN
Charlie Chaplin said “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” Hollie Harper’s days are never wasted. For the last
“My daughter makes me think I am a superhero–that I can do anything”… Nneka & Christine Obiamalu’s Life@ GWN
Girls Write Now Community Manager Christine Obiamalu, our newest staff member, may be the “baby” of the Girls Write Now
“I would hope that I make people feel like they could go for their dreams…” Jocelynn Landon’s Life@GWN
A Profile by Fayonna Jean-Philippe | Spring 2026 GWN Cycle In the 2026 Spring Cycle of the Girls Write Now
The Journey into a Self-Proclaimed Funny Person’s First Time Writing Comedy
A darkly funny take on identity, ambition, and modern life. A mentee at Girls Write Now navigates cultural confusion, people-pleasing instincts, and the dream of running a country with empathy, practicality, and a little tyranny.
friendship
A poem on the constellations in our lives.
“My dad taught me how to be curious…” Bruce Morrow & Tenzin Gund-Morrow’s Life@GWN
Fathers are some of our first teachers, and the best students learn by asking questions. For GWN board member Bruce Morrow's son, Tenzin Gund-Morrow, his dad gave every early curiosity somewhere to go—from ballet classes at the age of three to isolating strawberry DNA at science camp, Bruce encouraged his son's interests, and delighted in where they led.
If you are transgender, you have to live
The title comes from a tweet that reads: "if u r transgender u have to live. if u accomplish something else then good. if u accomplish nothing else then good. but u have to live"
golden girls
Gold can be shaped and formed, so can love.
contingent truth
The same words arranged in identical lines can tell conflicting stories if listed in a different order. And a contingent truth is, by definition, true, but could just as easily have been false.
Praise for Ctrl+B
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.