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!
Liminal Spaces
It's blue It's gray
Excerpt of Short Story Bai
Bai follows the main character Moyna as she tries to figure out how to stop one of the worst days of her life from repeating.
The Poems of Sierra J. Williams
With the help of my mentor, Caitlin Chase, I was able to create a website using Cargo.com that would be both a portfolio of my favorite self-written poems and an outlet for creative expression.
How To Steal Your Sibling’s Sundae
As the oldest of six kids, writer Chloe Cullen told herself that helping her siblings meant taking it–even if she took it from them herself.
Sea and Space
Two friends venture through a flooded Earth, searching for signs of life.
To Palestine
The poem highlights the loss of childhood dreams in Gaza due to the war, portraying the children's resilience, and the world's indifference. It calls for global action to protect these young lives and their future.
Yemen Called Me عسل (Honey)
If you've got a sweet tooth, this one's for you! In this episode, Poetry 360 mentee Asma Al-Masyabi journeys through her honeyed memories of Eid, baking treats, and getting lost in nostalgia that seems to be from another lifetime.
Speaking on the Art of the Craft
Listen to Spencer George, Kat Jagai, and Richelle Szypulski talk about the creation of Girls Write Now On the Art of the Craft and respond to a prompt from the book.
Memories of Blue
Have you ever had a moment where all your big memories flood back to you like a blue ocean wave?
Acceptance in a Dream
She enters the world of dreams only to find herself running away. Will she make it?
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.