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.
Stories from Inside "Unmuted" Coming Soon!
Stories from Inside "Unmuted" Coming Soon!
Empowering HER Story: Bridging the Gap in Female Representation and Empowering Future Generations
Every young girl should be able to grow up with a diverse set of role models, empowering them to understand that they can do anything.
The Ever-Changing Earth
This is my personal essay from Lead 360 that describes my passion for creating a healthier environment and world.
Offline
Told in a series of chat conversations, “Offline” tells the story of a writer who, fed up with his technology-assisted world, turns to the one thing he’s tried so hard to avoid: AI.
embracing womanhood
Dismissing missed periods became a habit, until fear, not maturity, forced me to listen to my body's silent cries.
Birds in Paradise
To the hearts that endure, the hands that hold strong, this poem is for you, Palestine. May you find peace, as vast and endless as the sky.
Liminal Photography Project
A brief essay detailing the inspiration, backstory, and goals of the Liminal Photography Project in collaboration with Lead360.
Identity Ecdysis
This letter explores my journey as I navigate the challenges of embracing my asexuality, breaking free from societal expectations, and finding solace in a new identity, shedding my old one.
i’m afraid You’ll end up seeing me the way i see myself
One by one, her words vanished until there were none le–
An Angel and a Keyboard
The psych ward is more than a harsh, white, dehumanizing space in some psychological thriller. It is a place that stores life. And with life, beauty.
Speaking on Historical Flights of Fancy
In this episode of Speaking in First Draft, Nola and Colette discuss how to write fictional narratives about real people, and why the themes of the French Revolution are still relevant today.
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.