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!
Storytime
This podcast is for those who like fairytales and myths and all types of stories being explained. Many people have heard of the Disney movie Anastasia, based off of the Russian princess, but many people do not know that instead of getting married in the end as depicted in the movie, the real Anastasia passed away as a young child. "Storytime" will uncover mysteries and answer questions about stories from A to Z.
Sanjida’s Style
This video is a representation of my identity and the culture that I come from. It represents one of the things I love most: fashion. Fashion shows everyone who I am as a person. I love wearing certain colors to showcase more of my personality and skin tone. When I look good, I feel good. I hope this video inspires you to change how you look at fashion.
A Self Portrait Of Some Sort
This is a self-portrait. It's inspired by anime and my decision to wear niqab, and I think it's one of my best works because it truly represents me.
Dreams (a short film)
No matter the stress, anger, or sadness, Hamlet was right by identifying sleep as an escape. It can be something beautiful or terrifying. We are all like children. We dream and make up our own beautiful worlds and our own monsters. Imagination and dreaming is something to keep close to you!
Iron Bars
This song is a tribute to Gorillaz’s nonsensical ingenuity.
Culture Loss Prevention
My podcast is about many things, hence the name. I talk about many topics, from problems with social media to the lack of success of arobeats. I hope you enjoy it—you just never know what to expect with Gifty.
Our Words, Our Voice
You read and write everyday, whether it involves your favorite song lyrics, a grocery list, crafting a text to your best friend, or projects for school or work. In fact, we use our literacy so much that we often take it for granted. What about the centuries of people who were denied this powerful tool?
Rainbow Shoelaces
"Rainbow Shoelaces" is a poem about the complexity of friendship, presented in digital form. It discusses a girl who used to be my best friend, and how I felt—and still feel— jealous of her. However, beneath that, a feeling of longing and regret still exists because she was someone I was once close to. The specific details I used to describe her are fictitious, as I wanted her to seem familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
The Feeling
This is a stop motion video I created and even without the content, it shows that anyone can create a piece like this even if they are not particularly tech-savvy. It shows my hard work in 30 seconds, and even though it may not seem like a long period to most, that mere 30 seconds took a lot of time to create.
the art of self love
This poem follows a girl who, similar to any other teenage girl, has a hard time in her own skin. As she gets older she learns how to navigate being a young adult and finds herself— she overwhelms a callous world with light.
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.