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!
A Love Letter to My Apartment on 69th Avenue
This piece is a reflection of childhood nostalgia; I dive into living in my old apartment and attempt to savor its beauty. Though I struggle with growing pains, I eventually lean towards acceptance.
Vogels/Girls
An ode to southern Germany and my cousin, Marlene.
Everlasting Color
This piece was written to shed light on creatives. Artists often perceive the world in a unique way that many people don't understand, so I wanted to do my best to describe that.
Mr. Cupid Taught Me There is More to Life
In 2023, I had an apprenticeship program at Second Chance Outreach in Capetown, Mr. Cupido’s drug rehabilitation NGO. Every day, I learned about the lives of others and the true meaning of a second chance.
Train Ride to Danger Station
An uncomfortable experience among girls and women is sexual harassment, something that I encountered on the train that left me furious.
Self-Defining a Strong Black Woman
In this essay, I discuss my personal journey with the Strong Black Woman schema and how basing my self-worth on
My Tears Have Traveled
A reflection of my tears throughout my life.
the shame of sons
An excerpt of a short story surrounding a boy with his father's hand-me-down anger.
The Sea Beneath Caroline Street and True Love Comes From
My home will one day be underwater and it will be as if it never existed to anyone else. Where does true love really come from?
The Dying Friend
This piece is simple, yet I hope it can still be striking to whoever reads it. I have been thinking about writing this poem for a very long time.
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.