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!
breath
breath By Claire Yu This poem is about the serenity and cleansing nature of standing in the rain and the
The Unknown Haze
In a fantastical dream, YouTuber Mark Ferris constructs a plan to protect himself from an unknown yet dreaded intruder.
The Fountain
“The Fountain” explores the fear of aging and being forgotten through the eyes of Lilian, a 74-year-old New Yorker who makes a surreal discovery on one of her countless boring afternoons.
Fragile Sprouts
“Fragile Sprouts” is a message encouraging young women to embrace the individuality that makes them beautiful.
First Chance at Love
The poem “First Chance at Love” exposes a young girl’s thoughts and feelings as she encounters her first crush.
Cracks in the Country
Amanda Gorman's poem at the 2021 Inauguration inspired me to write my own piece about America's values and ideals.
I Love It When…
A pandemic-era reflection on the things that bring us joy—things we may have taken for granted because we thought they would always be there. The little things seem much bigger now.
i’ll be the sun if you’ll be the moon
A piece born of a sudden Tuesday afternoon musing about self-identity and all its ridiculous, frustrating incomprehensibilities.
Seventeen
In Seventeen, I explore the ups and downs of being seventeen years old. From the pressure to be “perfect” to what I wish we had more of.
Roots
A piece about my relationship to my cultural identity that explores my feelings about being Chinese and raised in America.
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.