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!
meat
This poem is a classic extended metaphor and an angry feminist poem about a woman’s relationship to food and the kitchen.
Religion
I discuss my devotion to and fascination with neuroscience while comparing it to religion.
The Power of Synthesis
This piece is my Common App personal statement that I submitted as part of my college applications. It shows colleges more about my ability to synthesize and share information effectively.
Interview with Luz
This piece is an introduction to who I am in a professional light while also shedding light onto my ambitions and goals for the future.
To write about things that have ended a long time ago
A lot of my writing is related to loss—in this case, it’s old friends. Though I’ve yet to attend a loved one’s funeral, I find myself grieving people who are still alive.
The Four Ps
This piece illustrates my journey with animal advocacy, and how it taught me valuable lessons about myself and the world.
Lost in Translation
As a Chinese American, growing up in a predominately white environment was challenging towards my identity—especially at school. As I get older, I am able to appreciate the beauty of my culture.
my january, my silvermist
Odes to the greenery in my house that keep me constantly conflicted.
Negativity & Change-Making in Education
So often we spend the time we set aside in our mind for "activism" on negativity. But lately I've realized the need for the positive and negative — these essay and video excerpts.
Chronicles of FeiXingQi and Mahjong
A tale of an immigrant’s adjustment to New York City and the impacts of childhood and cultural board games.
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.