ANTHOLOGIES
Girls Write Now Unmuted: The 2021 Anthology
Girls Write Now is thrilled to be in partnership again this year with Dutton, who produced this anthology. A special thanks to the team at Dutton—Christine Ball,Maya Ziv, and Lexy Cassola, and to Feminist Press and Jamia Wilson, who produced the ebook. Thank you as well to Amazon Literary Partnership for their continued support, which directly funds the production of our anthologies.
In the 2021 Girls Write Now Anthology, our mentees give voice to fear and silence, demand justice, and hold nothing back. To be unmuted right now requires a new brand of bravery, and these writers show how it’s done. Using stories, poems, essays, fiction, drama, interviews and more, they report on a global pandemic, a climate crisis and the movement for racial equality. They also invite us on their personal journeys through the labyrinth of young adulthood: feeling the rich soil of a neighborhood garden beneath their fingers; traveling through time in search of their parents; inhaling the charged air where young love is brewing. In a world pushed to the precipice of change, in a society that values the tried and true over the dynamic and new, the Girls Write Now class of 2021 is breaking the chains and showing what it means to speak loud, clear and true—to be unmuted.
Foreword by
Introduction 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.
Girls Write Now Unmuted Print Anthology
Stories from Inside "Unmuted" Coming Soon!
Stories from Inside "Unmuted" Coming Soon!
the brighter sun
This piece unintentionally secured itself a special place in my heart. It reflects my feelings, my aspirations, and my hope that this new country will allow me to embrace my new place in history.
sororicide
For class, I had the task of writing a monologue. But as an avid horror fan, I went off the rails. That’s how sororicide happened. Writing horror serves as an outlet for me, to create a world where this fictional horror is the only scary thing in the world.
relating to, derived from, or consisting of matter: having real importance or great consequences
In honor of Black History Month, I have written a piece that reflects on everyday reminders of slavery. I draw an unconventional parallel between my life and the experience of an enslaved woman.
More than 71 inches
Yes, we are all either short, average, or tall, but there is more to us than height. It’s about who we are on the inside. Look into the interior and less at the exterior. We are all perfect the way we are. We are never too this or that.
Valentine’s Day
Each year I become a victim to the elaborate scheme that is Valentine's Day propaganda, getting unreasonably self-conscious when the day never goes as planned. But my friends have made me realize that I can be loved without romance involved.
Beauty
This poem emphasizes the beauty of tomorrow’s uncertainty. Anything could happen tomorrow so we might as well just do whatever our hearts desire and enjoy the ride until it lasts!
Every Shade of Blue
Don’t be afraid to get in touch with the deepest of your emotions, even the heartbreaking ones. There are oceans in you if you learn how to swim.
Berlin, eternally
Despite dating back to the thirteenth century, Berlin is such a mysteriously modern place. It was destroyed by bombs. And so, in the city, you feel the weight of these ghosts. Their blood suspended in the air: an anti-war cry. An anthem. A glimmer of hope.
childhood archeology / Teenage Fever Dream
These are two poems that reflect back on our younger selves.
As a Woman
This piece is about the double standards that plague society and force women to be small.
Praise for Here & Now
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.